Aruba Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Aruba
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Aruba

Country Profile

Capital City: Oranjestad

Other Cities: San Nicolaas (St. Nicolaas)

Local Time: UTC -4h

Geography:
Aruba is a flat, riverless island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, renowned for its white sand beaches. Aruba's tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit).
Location: Caribbean, island in the South Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela.
Area: 193 sq km (75 sq miles)
Terrain: Flat with a few hills.

Climate: Tropical marine.

Government:
Type: Parliamentary Democracy
Dependency status: Autonomous territory of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986; responsible for defense and foreign affairs is the Dutch Government .

People:
Nationality: Aruban(s), Dutch
Population: 70 000
Ethnic Groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%.
Religions: Christian 90%, Hindu, Muslim.
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish.
Literacy: 97%

Business

Currency: Aruban Guilder/Florin (AWG); U.S. Dollars and Euros are widely accepted.

Natural resources: Sun, sand, sea, surf.

Agriculture products: Aloes; livestock; fish.

Industries: Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining.

Exports partners: USA 79.9%, Netherlands 4.3%, Canada 3.7% (2004)

Imports partners: USA 55%, Netherlands 13.8%, Venezuela 3.5% (2004)

Introduction

Aruba

Background: Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired
by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three
main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity
brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of
the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from
the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence
was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.

Geography Aruba

Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates: 12 30 N, 69 58 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area: total: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 193 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 68.5 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:
Mount Jamanota 188 m

Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches

Land use: arable land: 11% (including aloe 0.01%) permanent crops: 0%
other: 89% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Environment - current issues: NA

Geography - note: a flat, riverless island renowned for its white
sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds
from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27
degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

People Aruba

Population: 70,441 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 7,635; female 7,169) 15-64 years:
68.4% (male 23,270; female 24,906) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 3,081;
female 4,380) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.59% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:   82.19 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch

Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%

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

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

Literacy: definition: NA total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA%

Government Aruba

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba

Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy
in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands
Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Oranjestad

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March

Constitution: 1 January 1986

Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common
law influence

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands
(since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN
(since 1 January 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER
(since 30 October 2001); deputy prime minister NA cabinet: Council of
Ministers (elected by the Staten) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER
elected 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 28 September 2001
(next to be held by December 2005)

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 - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%,
OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6,
PPA 2, OLA 1 elections: Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
(judges are appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders: Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS
[leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban
Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA
[Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban
People's Party or AVP [Tico CROES]; Concentration for the Liberation
of Aruba or CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP
[Nelson O. ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [leader NA];
National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

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:   Consul General Barbara
J. STEPHENSON embassy: Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599]
(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

Economy Aruba

Economy - overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban
economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage 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 low unemployment rate have led
to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in
wage rates in recent years. The government's goal of balancing the
budget within two years will hamper expenditures, as will the decline
in stopover tourist arrivals following the 11 September terrorist attacks.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (2000)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2000)

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; oil refining

Unemployment rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)

Budget: revenues: $135.81 million expenditures: $147 million, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000)

Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 450 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 418.5 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: aloes; livestock; fish

Exports: $2.58 billion (including oil reexports) (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: live animals and animal products, art and
collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment

Exports - partners: US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999)

Imports: $2.61 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil
for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

Imports - partners: US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%,
Japan (1999)

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

Currency: Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)

Currency code: AWG

Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed
rate since 1986)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Aruba

Telephones - main lines in use: 33,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 3,402 (1997)

Telephone system:   more than adequate international: interisland
microwave radio relay links

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 50,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: 20,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .aw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

Internet users: 4,000 (2000)

Transportation Aruba

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 800 km paved: 513 km note: most coastal roads are paved,
while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995) unpaved:
287 km

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Merchant marine: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a
flag of convenience: Airports: 1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)

Military Aruba

Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch
Navy and Marines, Coast Guard

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands

Transnational Issues Aruba

Disputes - international: none

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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002