Aruba
parliamentary democracyIndependence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Aruba as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 138 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 180 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 and Society
27 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2014 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(2010 est.)
Languages
Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.9 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.65 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.9 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); Prime Minister Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN (since 30 October 2009)
20 fieldsLegislature or Staten, 21 seats, elected 27 September 2013one dot, one seat
Dependency status
- constituent 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
Capital
- name:
- Oranjestad
- geographic coordinates:
- 12 31 N, 70 02 W
- time difference:
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Constitution
- previous 1947, 1955;
- latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba, but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands);
- note - in October 2010, following dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2013)
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN (since 30 October 2009)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers elected by the Staten; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- the monarchy 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 on 25 September 2009 (next to be held by September 2013)
- election results:
- Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN 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 on 27 September 2013 (next to be held in 2017)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AVP 13, MEP 8
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- ; note - prior to 2010, the Joint Court of Justice was the Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba
- Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatitus and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (consists of the presiding judge, NA members, and NA substitutes);
- final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands
- judge selection and term of office:
- Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life
- subordinate courts:
- Courts in First Instance
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 [Michiel "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]
International organization participation
Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU
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 Curacao, currently Consul General Valerie BELON, 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;
- the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world;
- the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies;
- the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth
Economy
Tourism and offshore banking are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy.
33 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2002 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
Tourism and offshore banking are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Tourism now accounts for over 80 % of economic activity. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. The rapid growth of the tourism sector has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities.
Construction continues to boom with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. Aruba is heavily dependent on imports and is making efforts to expand exports to achieve a more desirable trade balance. Aruba weathered two major shocks in recent years: fallout from the global financial crisis, which had its largest impact on tourism, and the closure of its oil refinery in 2009.
Economic recovery is progressing gradually, but output is still 12% below its pre-crisis level. Aruba’s banking sector withstood the recession well, and unemployment has significantly decreased.
Labor force
51,610 country comparison to the world: 192 note: of the 51,610 workers aged 15 and over in the labor force, 32,252 were born in Aruba and 19,353 came from abroad; foreign workers are 38% of the employed population (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
- agriculture:
- NA%
- industry:
- NA%
- services:
- NA%
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade, followed by hotels and restaurants
Central bank discount rate
1% (31 December 2010 est.) · 3% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 103
Commercial bank prime lending rate
10.5% (31 December 2013 est.) · 8.4% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Stock of narrow money
$1.022 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $868.5 million (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Stock of broad money
$1.91 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.765 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Stock of domestic credit
$1.594 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.448 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
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
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 266,000 kW(2010 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- modern fully automatic telecommunications system
- domestic:
- increased competition through privatization; 3 mobile-cellular 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)
Broadcast media
- 2 commercial TV stations;
- cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels;
- about 20 commercial radio stations broadcast (2007)
Transportation
3 fieldsPorts and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Barcadera, Oranjestad
- oil terminal(s):
- Sint Nicolaas
- cruise port(s):
- Oranjestad
Military
No regular military forces (2011)
5 fieldsMilitary - note
defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands; the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism (2011)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Aruba.” The World Factbook 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/aruba/2014.