Introduction

 

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.

 

Geography

 

Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

 

Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N, 69 58 W

 

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

 

Area: total: 193 sq km; and: 193 sq km; water: 0 sq km

 

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

 

Land boundaries: 0 km

 

Coastline: 68.5 km

 

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

 

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

 

Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

 

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m; highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m

 

Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches

 

Land use: arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%); permanent crops: 0%;other: 89.47% (2001)

 

Irrigated land: 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)

 

Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

 

Environment - current issues: NA

 

Geography - note: 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)

 

People

 

Population: 71,566 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.9% (male 7,308/female 6,960);15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,736/female 25,068);65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,486/female 5,008) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 38 years; male: 36.07 years; female: 39.7 years (2005 est.) ;

 

Population growth rate: 0.47% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 11.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female;65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female; total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 5.89 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 79.14 years; male: 75.8 years; female: 82.65 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

 

Nationality: noun: Aruban(s); adjective: Aruban; Dutch

 

Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%

 

Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish

 

Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

 

Literacy definition: total population: 97%; male: NA%; female: NA%

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: none; conventional short form: Aruba

Dependency status: part 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

 

Government type: parliamentary democracy

 

Capital: Oranjestad

 

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

 

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

 

National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March

 

Constitution: 1 January 1986

 

Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 

Executive branch: 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 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005)

election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

 

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005)

election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1

 

Judicial branch: Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)

 

Economy

 

Economy - overview: 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. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and exceptionally low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade balance.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (2002 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: -1.5% (2002 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2002 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%; industry: NA%; services: NA%

 

Labor force: 41,500 (1997 est.)

 

Labor force - by occupation: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining

 

Unemployment rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: NA

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA;highest 10%: NA

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2% (2002 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $135.8 million; expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000)

 

Agriculture - products: aloes; livestock; fish

 

Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

 

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

 

Electricity - production: 807.7 million kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - consumption: 751.2 million kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - exports: NA

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Exports: $128 million f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2002 est.)

 

Exports - commodities: live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment

 

Exports - partners: US 79.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Canada 3.7% (2004)

 

Imports: $841 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

 

Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

 

Imports - partners: US 55%, Netherlands 13.8%, Venezuela 3.5% (2004)

 

Debt - external: $285 million (1996)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996

 

Currency (code): Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)

 

Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 37,100 (2002)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 53,000 (2001)

 

Telephone system: general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system

 

Domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed

International: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)

 

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

 

Internet country code: .aw

 

Internet hosts: 923 (2001)

 

Internet users: 24,000 (2002)

 

Transportation

 

Highways: total: 800 km; paved: 513 km; unpaved: 287 km;

note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995)

 

Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

 

Airports: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1;2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: none

 

Illicit drugs: transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity