|
Background:
|
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba
was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been
dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was
followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil
refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the
tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986
and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's
request in 1990. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of
Venezuela |
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Geographic
coordinates:
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12 30 N, 69 58 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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68.5 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical marine; little seasonal temperature
variation |
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Terrain:
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flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0
m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188
m |
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Natural resources:
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NEGL; white sandy beaches |
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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0.01 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane
belt and is rarely threatened |
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Environment - current
issues:
|
NA |
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Geography - note:
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a flat, riverless island renowned for its white
sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds
from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27
degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) |
|
Population:
|
101,541
note: estimate based on a revision
of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a
revision of 1985-1999 migration estimates from outmigration to
inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new
results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.4% (male
9,933/female 9,747)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male
34,123/female 37,228)
65 years and over: 10.4% (male
4,189/female 6,321) (2008 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 37.6 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 39.3 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth
rate:
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1.501% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.81 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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9.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66
male(s)/female
total population: 0.91
male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 14.26 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 18.92 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 9.51 deaths/1,000 live
births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at
birth:
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total population: 75.06 years
male: 72.03 years
female: 78.14 years (2008 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.85 children born/woman (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other
(includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10% |
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Languages:
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Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English
dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch
(official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census) |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.5%
female: 97.1% (2000 census) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
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Dependency status:
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member country of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon
separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible
for defense and foreign affairs |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N,
70 02 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour
ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative
divisions:
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none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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Independence:
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none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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National holiday:
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Flag Day, 18 March (1976) |
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Constitution:
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1 January 1986 |
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Legal system:
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based on Dutch civil law system, with some
English common law influence |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen BEATRIX
of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor
General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister
Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elected by the Staten
elections: the monarch is
hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the
monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten
for four-year terms; election last held in 2005 (next to be held by
2009)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER
elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats;
members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 23 September
2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote
by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%;
seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1 |
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Judicial branch:
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Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are
appointed by the monarch) |
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Political parties and
leaders:
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Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert
WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban
Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party
or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN];
People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real
Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political
Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF] |
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Political pressure
groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International
organization participation:
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Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO |
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Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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none (represented by the Kingdom of the
Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for
Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
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Diplomatic
representation from the US:
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the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the
Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba |
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Flag description:
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blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow
stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined
in white in the upper hoist-side corner |
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Economy - overview:
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Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open
Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also
important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade
has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5
million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US.
Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985
level. In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993,
providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings, and
growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after
the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low
season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68%
throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting
the budget and trade deficits a high priority. |
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GDP (purchasing power
parity):
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$2.258 billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official
exchange rate):
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$2.258 billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth
rate:
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2.4% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita
(PPP):
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$21,800 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by
sector:
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agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3%
services: 66.3% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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41,500 (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by
occupation:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
note: most employment is in
wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and
restaurants; oil refining |
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Unemployment rate:
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6.9% (2005 est.) |
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Population below
poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or
consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices):
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3.4% (2005) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million (2005
est.) |
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Public debt:
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46.3% of GDP (2005) |
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Agriculture -
products:
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aloes; livestock; fish |
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Industries:
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tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
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Industrial production
growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity -
production:
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770 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity -
production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption:
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716.1 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production:
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2,356 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - consumption:
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7,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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230,600 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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235,000 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Natural gas -
production:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas -
consumption:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved
reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2006) |
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Exports:
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$124 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil
reexports (2006) |
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Exports - commodities:
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live animals and animal products, art and
collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
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Exports - partners:
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Netherlands 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%,
Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006) |
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Imports:
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$1.054 billion f.o.b. (2006) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil
for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006) |
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Economic aid -
recipient:
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$11.3 million (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$478.6 million (2005 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) |
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Currency code:
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AWG |
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Exchange rates:
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Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - NA
(2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main
lines in use:
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38,300 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile
cellular:
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108,200 (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: modern
fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition
through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed
international: country code - 297;
landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system
that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela,
Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive
interisland microwave radio relay links (2007) |
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Radio broadcast
stations:
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AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Radios:
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50,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast
stations:
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1 (1997) |
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Televisions:
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20,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.aw |
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Internet hosts:
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16,914 (2007) |
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs):
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NA |
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Internet users:
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24,000 (2005) |
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Airports:
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1 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved
runways:
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total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
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Roadways:
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total: 800 km |
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Ports and terminals:
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Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
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Military branches:
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no regular indigenous military forces; the
Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an
amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles
(2008) |
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Manpower available
for military service:
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males age 16-49: 24,585
females age 16-49: 25,742 (2008
est.) |
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Manpower fit for
military service:
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males age 16-49: 20,173
females age 16-49: 21,062 (2008
est.) |
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Manpower reaching
military service age annually:
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males age 16-49: 705
females age 16-49: 719 (2008 est.)
|
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands |
| Transnational Issues |
Aruba |
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Disputes -
international:
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none |
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This page was
last updated on 15 May, 2008
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