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Aruba

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.
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Oranjestad
Currency: 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Geography of Aruba

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
Area:
total: 193 sq. km
land: 193 sq. km
water: 0 sq. km
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 68.5 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources: white sandy beaches
Land use:
arable land: 7% aloe plantations included (0.01%)
other: 93% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 0.01 sq km
Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Geography – note: a flat, river-less 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 of Aruba

Population: 71,566 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:  21.29% (male 7,709; female 7,193)
15-64 years:  68.52% (male 23,111; female 24,859)
65 years and over:  10.19% (male 2,954; female 4,181)
Population growth rate: 0.64%
Birth rate: 12.64 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 6.21 deaths/1,000 population 
Net migration rate:NEGL
Infant mortality rate: 6.39 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:  78.52 years
male:  75.16 years
female:  82.04 years
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman
Nationality:
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy: 97% of total population

Aruba Economy

Economy – overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are 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 less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.
GDP: purchasing power parity – $2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP – real growth rate: 3.5% (2000 est.)
GDP – per capita: purchasing power parity – $28,000 (2000 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 41,501 (1997 est.)
Labor force – by occupation: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: Not available
expenditures: $541 million
Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Electricity – production: 450 million kWh (1999)
Electricity – production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0% (1998)
Electricity – consumption: 418.5 million kWh (1999)
Electricity – exports: 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity – imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture – products: aloes; livestock; fish
Exports: $2.2 billion (including oil reexports) (2000 est.)
Exports – commodities: live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports – partners: US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999)
Imports: $2.5 billion (2000 est.)
Imports – commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports – partners: US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%,  Japan  (1999)
Debt – external:$285 million (1996)
Economic aid – recipient: $26 million (1995); note – the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996
Currency: 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents

Map of Aruba