Aruba

parliamentary democracyIndependence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Aruba as the 2008 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 120 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalOranjestad, UTC-4
Position12 30 N, 69 58 W
Area193 sq km
LocationCaribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
2008

Every edition of Aruba

Populationas each edition published it
101,541 people July 2008 est. · 62,656 in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.501% 2008 est. · 0.66% in 1993
Median ageyears
37.6 years 2008 est. · 37.1 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
75.06 years 2008 est. · 76.3 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.85 children per woman 2008 est. · 1.8 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
14.26 deaths per 1,000 live births 2008 est. · 8 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$21,800 2004 est. · $14,000 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.4% 2005 est. · 6% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

17 fields

Land useshare of 193 sq km

arable land 10.53%permanent crops 0%other 89.47% (2005)irrigated 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
193sq km
land: 193 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly larger than Washington, DC
Coastline
68.5km
land boundaries: 0 kmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
188m
Mount Jamanotalowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

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

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Natural resources

NEGL; white sandy beaches

Natural hazards

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

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

21 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2008 est.)

4,189
65 and over10.4%
6,321
34,123
15-6470.3%
37,228
9,933
0-1419.4%
9,747
MaleFemale
Population
101,541
growth rate: 1.501% (2008 est.)
Note
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 2008 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2008 est.)

Birth
12.81Death
7.65Net migration
9.85

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2008 est.)75.06
72.03 · 78.14Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)14.26
18.92 · 9.51Literacy (2000 census)97.3%
97.5% · 97.1%
TotalMale · femaleMedian age years (2008 est.)37.6
35.8 · 39.3School life expectancy years (2006)14
13 · 14
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: NA

Religions

Roman Catholic 80.8%Protestant 9%other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 5.6%none or unspecified 4.6%

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.66 male(s)/female
total population:
0.9 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.85 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Aruban(s)
adjective:
Aruban; Dutch

Ethnic groups

mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%

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)

Education expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2005)

Government

Parliamentary democracy; Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

43%
MEP 43%AVP 32%MPA 7%RED 7%PDR 6%OLA 4%PPA 2%last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009)

Legislature or Staten, 21 seats, elected 23 September 2005one dot, one seat

MEP 11AVP 8MPA 1RED 1

Percent of vote

MEP 43%AVP 32%MPA 7%RED 7%PDR 6%OLA 4%PPA 2%

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 31 N, 70 02 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

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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

other: environmental groups

International organization participation

Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US

  • 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

Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important.

44 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$2.258billion
(2005 est.)official exchange rate: $2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$21,800
(2004 est.)
Real growth rate
2.4%
(2005 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

GDP - composition by sector(2002 est.)

agriculture 0.4%industry 33.3%services 66.3% (2002 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

11.3%
US
54.6%
29.7%
Panama
17%
Colombia
13.2%
Netherlands Antilles
9.2%
Netherlands
12%
10.9%
Venezuela
UK
4.7%
Exports $124 million f.o.b. ; note - includes oil reexports (2006)Imports $1.054 billion f.o.b. (2006)(2007)

Budget

Revenues
$507.9 millionExpenditures
$577.9 million (2005 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
800 million (2006 est.)Electricity consumption
744 million (2006 est.)

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.

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.)

Public debt

46.3% of GDP (2005)

Central bank discount rate

5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.01% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$640.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$792.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.348 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products

  • aloes;
  • livestock;
  • fish

Industries

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Oil - production

2,356 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption

7,102 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

233,300 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

238,200 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006)

Exports

$124 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2006)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$1.054 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Imports - commodities

machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

Debt - external

$478.6 million (2005 est.)

Currency (code)

Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)

Exchange rates

Aruban guilders/florins (AWG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
105,700
(2006)
Internet users
17,661
(2008)
Fixed lines
38,700
(2006) · country code .aw

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;
  • landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America;
  • extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)

Internet users

24,000 (2007)

Transportation

3 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m
1

Airports

1 (2007)

Ports and terminals

Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Military

No regular indigenous military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2008)

5 fields

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49:
24,585
females age 16-49:
25,742 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49:
20,173
females age 16-49:
21,062 (2008 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Illicit drugs

transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine

Central Intelligence Agency. “Aruba.” The World Factbook 2008. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/aruba/2008.

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