1996 Edition

Description

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

Location

12 30 N, 69 58 W -- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Washington, DC

land area

193 sq km

total area

193 sq km

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

68.5 km

Environment

current issues

NA

international agreements

NA

natural hazards

lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Geographic coordinates

12 30 N, 69 58 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

0%

other

100%

permanent crops

0%

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

highest point

Mount Jamanota 188 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 22% (male 7,850; female 7,155) 15-64 years: 69% (male 22,499; female 24,596) 65 years and over: 9% (male 2,353; female 3,341) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

14.62 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

6.24 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%

Infant mortality rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.55 years (1996 est.)

male

73 years

total population

76.68 years

Literacy

NA

Nationality

adjective

Aruban

noun

Aruban(s)

Net migration rate

-5.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

67,794 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.31% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

all ages

0.93 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

1.81 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Capital

Oranjestad

Constitution

1 January 1986

Data code

AA

Diplomatic representation in US

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the legislature

chief of state

Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (of the Netherlands since 30 April 1980), a constitutional monarch, is represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992) who was appointed for a six-year term by the queen

head of government

Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July 1994) and Deputy Prime Minister Glenbert F. CROES were appointed by 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)

International organization participation

ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate)

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

Name of country

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; Aruban Liberal Party (OLA), Glenbert CROES

note

governing coalition includes the AVP and OLA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

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)

Agriculture

aloes; livestock; fishing

Budget

expenditures

$185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)

revenues

$145 million

Currency

1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Economic aid

$NA

Economic 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. 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 less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.

Electricity

capacity

90,000 kW

consumption per capita

4,761 kWh (1993)

production

330 million kWh

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., 1994)

commodities

mostly refined petroleum products

partners

US 64%, EU

External debt

$669 million (December 1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$18,000 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

6.1% (1994 est.)

Illicit drugs

major drug money laundering center and minor transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe

Imports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities

food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and reexport

partners

US 8%, EU

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.1% (1994)

Labor force

NA

by occupation

most employment is in the tourist industry (1995)

Unemployment rate

0.5% (1994)

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic

more than adequate

international

1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

Telephones

22,922 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

19,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

note

government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights (1995 est.)

total

2

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

1

Highways

paved

NA km

total

NA km

unpaved

NA km

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Railways

0 km