Airports (Airfield) [time series]

government-owned airport east of Oranjestad

Ports [time series]

Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

generally adequate; extensive interisland radio relay links; 72,168 telephones; stations--4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable to Sint Maarten

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing

Budget [time series]

revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Aruban florin (plural--florins); 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-1988), $200 million

Electricity [time series]

310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,000 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1--1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)

Exports [time series]

$131.6 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--mostly petroleum products; partners--US 64%, EC

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$81 million (1987)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$730 million, per capita $11,600; real growth rate 8.8% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$496 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--food, consumer goods, manufactures; partners--US 8%, EC

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA

Industries [time series]

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.8% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 2% in 1990. The reopening of the local oil refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.

Unemployment rate [time series]

1.6% (1990 est.)

Climate [time series]

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

68.5 km Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%

Natural resources [time series]

negligible; white sandy beaches

Note [time series]

28 km north of Venezuela

Terrain [time series]

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Area (Total area) [time series]

193 km2; land area: 193 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Capital [time series]

Oranjestad

Constitution [time series]

1 January 1986

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Executive branch [time series]

Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

none (part of the Dutch realm); note--in 1990 Aruba requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996

Judicial branch [time series]

Joint High Court of Justice Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January 1986); Head of Government--Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989) Electoral Movement Party (MEP), Nelson ODUBER; Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny EMAN; National Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro KELLY; New Patriotic Party (PPN), Eddy WERLEMEN; Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Leo CHANCE; Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo BERLINSKI; Democratic Action '86 (AD'86), Arturo ODUBER; governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral legislature (Staten)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WTO (associate)

National holiday [time series]

Flag Day, 18 March

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 Legislature--last held 6 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1993); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles

Birth rate [time series]

15 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)

Languages (Language) [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

72 years male, 80 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Aruban(s); adjective--Aruban

Net migration rate [time series]

- 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)

Population [time series]

64,052 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, also small Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, and Jewish minority

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.8 children born/woman (1991)