Aruba
parliamentary democracyIndependence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Aruba as the 2002 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 108 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
17 fieldsLand useshare of 193 sq km
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
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(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.)
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.)
Languages
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992); Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001)
19 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature or Staten, 21 seats, elected 28 September 2001one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
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
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:
- last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005)
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 [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN];
- 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 [Urbana LOPEZ];
- National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]
International organization participation
Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate)
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON
- embassy:
- J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, 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
Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important.
32 fieldsElectricity
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.
Labor force - by occupation
most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Exports - commodities
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Imports - commodities
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Economic aid - recipient
$26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- NA
- domestic:
- more than adequate
- international:
- 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
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
Merchant marine
note: there is one foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1 (2002 est.)
Military
No regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard
2 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Aruba.” The World Factbook 2002. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/aruba/2002.