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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. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Population: |
71,218 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14
years: 20.3% (male 7,429; female 7,051)
15-64 years:
68.2% (male 23,587; female 25,007)
65 years and over:
11.4% (male 3,347; female 4,797) (2004 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 37.5 years
male: 35.7 years
female: 39.1 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.51% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
11.53
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
6.47
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population:
0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total:
6.02 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.85 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 5.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 78.98 years
male: 75.64 years
female: 82.49 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.79 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
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Nationality: |
noun:
Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
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Ethnic groups: |
mixed
white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
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Religions: |
Roman
Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
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Languages: |
Dutch
(official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English
dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
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Literacy: |
definition:
total population: 97%
male: NA
female: NA Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short
form: Aruba |
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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 |
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Government type: |
parliamentary democracy |
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Capital: |
Oranjestad
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Administrative divisions: |
none (part
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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Independence: |
none (part
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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National holiday: |
Flag Day, 18
March |
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Constitution: |
1 January
1986 |
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Legal system: |
based on
Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
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Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
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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 28 September 2001
(next to be held by December 2005)
election results:
Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote
- NA |
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Legislative branch: |
unicameral
Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28
September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005)
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 |
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Judicial branch: |
Joint High
Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
Interpol,
IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none
(represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
the US does
not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands
Antilles, Deborah A. BOLTON, is accredited to Aruba |
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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 Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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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. Tourist arrivals have declined in the
aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The
government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade
balance. |
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $1.94 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
-1.5% (2002
est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $28,000 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3.2% (2002
est.) |
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Labor force: |
41,500 (1997
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
most
employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by
hotels and restaurants; oil refining |
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Unemployment rate: |
0.6% (2003
est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $135.8 million
expenditures: $147
million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000) |
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Agriculture - products: |
aloes;
livestock; fish |
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Industries: |
tourism,
transshipment facilities, oil refining |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
NA (2002
est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
531.9 million
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
494.7 million
kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
6,500 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
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Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
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Exports: |
$128 million
f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
live animals
and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical
equipment, transport equipment |
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Exports - partners: |
Netherlands
33.3%, Colombia 13.1%, Netherlands Antilles 11.9%, Panama 11.9%,
Venezuela 10.7%, US 8.3% (2003 est.) |
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Imports: |
$841 million
f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
machinery
and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport,
chemicals; foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners: |
US 55.1%,
Netherlands 13%, Netherlands Antilles 3.1% (2003 est.) |
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Debt - external: |
$285 million
(1996) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$26 million
(1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package
to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 |
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Currency: |
Aruban
guilder/florin (AWG) |
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Currency code: |
AWG |
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Exchange rates: |
Aruban
guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79
(2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar
year Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Highways: |
total:
800 km
paved: 513 km
unpaved: 287 km
note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads
serve large tracts of the interior (1995) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Barcadera,
Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,772 GRT/7,068 DWT
by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: Germany 1, Russia 1
registered in
other countries: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports: |
1 (2003
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2003 est.)
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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