1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 193 km2 land area: 193 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Climate
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
68.5 km
Environment
lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location
in the southern Caribbean Sea, 28 km north of Venezuela and 125 km east of Colombia
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
negligible; white sandy beaches
Terrain
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
People and Society
Birth rate
15.33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
6.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%
Infant mortality rate
8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)
Languages
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.3 years male: 72.65 years female: 80.13 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban
Net migration rate
-2.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
65,117 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
0.66% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish
Total fertility rate
1.83 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Capital
Oranjestad
Chief of State
Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since NA)
Constitution
1 January 1986
Digraph
AA
Diplomatic representation in US
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Executive branch
Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989)
Independence
none (part of the Dutch realm; in 1990, Aruba requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996)
Judicial branch
Joint High Court of Justice
Legal system
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Legislative branch
unicameral legislature (Staten)
Legislature
last held 8 January 1993 (next to be held by NA January 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) MEP 9, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPA 1, OLA 1, other 1
Member of
ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WTO (associate)
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba
National holiday
Flag Day, 18 March
Political parties and leaders
Electoral Movement Party (MEP), Nelson ODUBER; Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny EMAN; National Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro KELLY; New Patriotic Party (PPN), Eddy WERLEMEN; Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Benny NISBET; Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo BERLINSKI; Democratic Action '86 (AD '86), Arturo ODUBER; Organization for Aruban Liberty (OLA), Glenbert CROES note: governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
part of the Dutch realm; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles
Economy
Agriculture
poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing
Budget
revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)
Currency
1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $220 million
Electricity
310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 14,610 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Exports
$902.4 million, including oil re-exports (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: mostly petroleum products partners: US 64%, EC
External debt
$81 million (1987)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
drug money laundering center
Imports
$1,311.3 million, including oil for processing and re-export (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products partners: US 8%, EC
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.6% (1991)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $900 million (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$14,000 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
6% (1991 est.)
Overview
Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 3% in 1991. The reopening of the local oil refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.
Unemployment rate
3% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: note: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights
Highways
NA km all-weather highways
Ports
Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Telecommunications
generally adequate; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links; 72,168 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands