1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 193 sq km land area: 193 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Climate
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
68.5 km
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt international agreements: NA
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 100%
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
negligible; white sandy beaches
Terrain
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 23% (female 7,377; male 7,726) 15-64 years: 69% (female 24,269; male 21,141) 65 years and over: 8% (female 3,223; male 2,238) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
14.6 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
6.17 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%
Infant mortality rate
8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1995)
Languages
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.56 years male: 72.89 years female: 80.42 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
NA%
Nationality
noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban
Net migration rate
-1.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
65,974 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
0.65% (1995 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish
Total fertility rate
1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Capital
Oranjestad
Constitution
1 January 1986
Digraph
AA
Diplomatic representation in US
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed with the advice and approval of the legislature
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
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)
elections last held 29 July 1994 (next to be held by NA July 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2
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), Jan (Henny) H. 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
US diplomatic representation
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
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
recipient: Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $220 million
Electricity
capacity: 90,000 kW production: 330 million kWh consumption per capita: 4,761 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Exports
$1.3 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: mostly refined petroleum products partners: US 64%, EC
External debt
$81 million (1987)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
drug money laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe
Imports
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and re-export partners: US 8%, EC
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7% (1994 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1993 est.)
National product per capita
$17,000 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
5% (1993 est.)
Overview
Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are 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. Additionally, 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 less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.
Unemployment rate
0.6% (1992)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0 radios: NA
Telephone system
72,168 telephones; 1,100 telephones/1,000 persons; more than adequate local: NA intercity: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten
Television
broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 note: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights
Highways
total: NA paved: NA unpaved: NA
Merchant marine
none
Ports
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands ________________________________________________________________________ ASHMORE AND CARTIER ISLANDS (territory of Australia)