2000 Edition

Background

Formerly one of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba became an autonomous part of the Netherlands in 1986.

Area

land

193 sq km

total

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

highest point

Mount Jamanota 188 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Geographic coordinates

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Irrigated land

0.01 sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

7% aloe plantations included (0.01%)

forests and woodland

NA%

other

93% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

NA%

permanent pastures

NA%

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 22% (male 7,770; female 7,194) 15-64 years: 69% (male 22,944; female 24,810) 65 years and over: 9% (male 2,831; female 3,990) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

13.1 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

6.13 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%

Infant mortality rate

6.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.9 years (2000 est.)

male

75 years

total population

78.37 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

NA%

male

NA%

total population

97%

Nationality

adjective

Aruban

noun

Aruban(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

69,539 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.7% (2000 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female

total population

0.93 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

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

telephone

(9) 461-3066

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten)

chief of state

Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992)

election results

Jan (Henny) H. EMAN elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA; Dr. Lili BEKE-MARTINEZ elected deputy prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

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 12 July 1997 (next to be held by December 2001)

head of government

Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July 1994) and Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Lili BEKE-MARTINEZ (since NA)

FAX

(9) 461-6489

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 democracy

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)

Judicial branch

Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch)

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 to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - AVP 43%, MEP 39%, OLA 9% PPA 4%, ADN 2%, PARA 1%, MAS 0.5%; seats by party - AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2

elections

last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held by NA December 2001)

National holiday

Flag Day, 18 March

Political parties and leaders

Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA ; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA ; Aruban People's Party or AVP ; Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS ; Democratic Action '86 or AD '86 ; Electoral Movement Party or MEP ; Electoral People's Movement or MEP ; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA ; National Democratic Action or ADN ; New Patriotic Party or PPN

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

aloes; livestock; fish

Budget

expenditures

$541 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$NA

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

442 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

475 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)

Exports

$1.17 billion (including oil reexports)(1998)

Exports - commodities

transport equipment, live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment

Exports - partners

US 53.2%, Colombia 14.9%, Netherlands 8.8% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $22,800 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (1998)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.52 billion (1998)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport; foodstuffs

Imports - partners

US 55.5%, Netherlands 12.3%, Japan 3.5% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (1999 est.)

Labor force

41,501 (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

0.6% (1996 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

50,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

more than adequate

international

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

Telephones - main lines in use

27,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1,718 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

20,000 (1997)

Airports

2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Highways

note

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

paved

513 km

total

800 km

unpaved

287 km

Ports and harbors

Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Railways

0 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

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

ASHMORE AND CARTIER ISLANDS