1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Climate
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Coastline
68.5 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Environment--current issues
NA
Environment--international agreements
party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates
12 30 N, 69 58 W
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 11% permanent crops: NA% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: 89% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards
lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Natural resources
NEGL; white sandy beaches
Terrain
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 22% (male 7,724; female 7,106) 15-64 years: 69% (male 22,723; female 24,747) 65 years and over: 9% (male 2,623; female 3,752) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
13.28 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
6.48 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Infant mortality rate
7.84 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.04 years male: 73.33 years female: 80.94 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
NA
Nationality
noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban
Net migration rate
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
68,675 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.55% (1999 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.8 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Capital
Oranjestad
Constitution
1 January 1986
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba
Data code
AA
Dependency status
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles
Executive branch
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (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) and Deputy Prime Minister Glenbert F. CROES 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 a four-year term; election last held 12 July 1997 (next to be held by December 2001) election results: inconclusive; no party won majority in December 1997 parliamentary elections; no new government formed as of May 1998
Flag 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
Government type
parliamentary
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; 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
Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James L. WILLIAMS embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
Judicial branch
Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) Political parties and leaders: Electoral Movement Party or MEP
Legal system
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote and serve four-year terms) elections: last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held by NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2
National holiday
Flag Day, 18 March
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
aloes; livestock; fish
Budget
revenues: $345.3 million expenditures: $378.5 million, including capital expenditures of $107 million (1997 est.)
Currency
1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
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
Economy--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--consumption
470 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
470 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1--1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Exports
$1.73 billion (including oil reexports)(1997)
Exports--commodities
mostly refined petroleum products
Exports--partners
US 64%, EU
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$1.5 billion (1997 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$22,000 (1997 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
6% (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$2.12 billion (1997)
Imports--commodities
food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and reexport
Imports--partners
US 55.5%, Netherlands 12.3%, Japan 3.5%
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (1997)
Labor force
NA
Labor force--by occupation
most employment is in the tourist industry (1996)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
0.6% (1996 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 6, 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 (1997)
Televisions
19,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
2 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 300 km paved: 130 km unpaved: 170 km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Merchant marine
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,366 GRT/1,595 DWT (1998 est.)
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military--note
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
drug-money-laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; added to the US list of major drug producing or drug transit countries in December 1996