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.
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
land
193 sq km
water
0 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
10.53%
permanent crops
0%
other
89.47% (2005)
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)
Population
100,018
note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-1999 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
19.7% (male 9,943/female 9,761)
15-64 years
70.2% (male 33,553/female 36,661)
65 years and over
10.1% (male 4,046/female 6,054) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
37.3 years
male
35.5 years
female
39 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.522% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
10 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.019 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.915 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.668 male(s)/female
total population
0.906 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
14.75 deaths/1,000 live births
male
19.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female
9.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
74.83 years
male
71.8 years
female
77.91 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.85 children born/woman (2007 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%, other 20%
Religions
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10%
Languages
Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)
Literacy
definition
NA
total population
97.3%
male
97.5%
female
97.1% (2000 census)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Aruba
Dependency status
member country 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
name
Oranjestad
geographic coordinates
12 33 N, 70 06 W
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 (1976)
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 Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
head of government
Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001)
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 four-year terms; election last held in 2005 (next to be held by 2009)
election results
Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1
Judicial branch
Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders
Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic representation from the US
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba
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 - 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. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993, providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings, and growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$21,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
0.4%
industry
33.3%
services
66.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force
41,500 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
NA%
industry
NA%
services
NA%
note
most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Unemployment rate
6.9% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.4% (2005)
Budget
revenues
$507.9 million
expenditures
$577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt
46.3% of GDP (2005)
Agriculture - products
aloes; livestock; fish
Industries
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Electricity - production
770 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
716.1 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
2,363 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption
7,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports
$80 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners
Netherlands 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%, Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006)
Imports
$875 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners
US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006)
Debt - external
$478.6 million (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$11.3 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)
Currency code
AWG
Exchange rates
Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
37,100 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular
98,400 (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment
modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic
increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed
international
country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios
50,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
1 (1997)
Televisions
20,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.aw
Internet hosts
11,548 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
NA
Internet users
24,000 (2002)
Airports
1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Roadways
total
800 km
paved
513 km
unpaved
287 km
Ports and terminals
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Military branches
no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines, Coast Guard
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49: 16,278 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49: 13,219 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49: 520 (2005 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Disputes - international
none
Illicit drugs
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine
