Airports [time series]

total: 2 usable: 2 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0 note: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

NA km all-weather highways

Ports [time series]

Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of Australia)

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]

1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $220 million

Electricity [time series]

310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 14,610 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$902.4 million, including oil re-exports (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: mostly petroleum products partners: US 64%, EC

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$81 million (1987)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

drug money laundering center

Imports [time series]

$1,311.3 million, including oil for processing and re-export (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products 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]

5.6% (1991)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $900 million (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$14,000 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

6% (1991 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 3% in 1991. 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]

3% (1991 est.)

Area [time series]

total area: 193 km2 land area: 193 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline [time series]

68.5 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

in the southern Caribbean Sea, 28 km north of Venezuela and 125 km east of Colombia

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

negligible; white sandy beaches

Terrain [time series]

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Capital [time series]

Oranjestad

Constitution [time series]

1 January 1986

Digraph [time series]

AA

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

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Legislature: last held 8 January 1993 (next to be held by NA January 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) MEP 9, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPA 1, OLA 1, other 1

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; 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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since NA) Head of Government: Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral legislature (Staten)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba

National holiday [time series]

Flag Day, 18 March

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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), Benny NISBET; Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo BERLINSKI; Democratic Action '86 (AD '86), Arturo ODUBER; Organization for Aruban Liberty (OLA), Glenbert CROES note: governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

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]

15.33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

NA by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 76.3 years male: 72.65 years female: 80.13 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban

Net migration rate [time series]

-2.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

65,117 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.66% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.83 children born/woman (1993 est.)