Aruba

Airports

government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights

Civil air

Air Aruba has a fleet of 3 intermediate-range Boeing aircraft

Highways

Aruba has a system of all-weather highways

Ports

Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Telecommunications

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

Note

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands

Agriculture

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

Budget

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

Currency

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

Economic aid

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

Electricity

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

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$134.4 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: mostly petroleum products partners: US 64%, EC

External debt

$81 million (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $854 million, per capita $13,600; real growth rate l0% (1990 est.)

Imports

$488 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures partners: US 8%, EC

Industrial production

growth rate NA

Industries

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (1990 est.)

Overview

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

3% (1991 est.)

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

68.5 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Land area

193 km2

Land boundaries

none

Land use

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

Maritime claims

Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

negligible; white sandy beaches

Note

28 km north of Venezuela

Terrain

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Total area

193 km2

Administrative divisions

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Capital

Oranjestad

Constitution

1 January 1986

Diplomatic representation

none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

Elections

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

Executive branch

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

Flag

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

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

Joint High Court of Justice

Leaders

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)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral legislature (Staten)

Long-form name

none

Member of

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

National holiday

Flag Day, 18 March

Political parties and leaders

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 (OHA), Glenbert CROES; governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

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

Birth rate

16 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%

Infant mortality rate

9 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

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

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

73 years male, 80 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

noun - Aruban(s); adjective - Aruban

Net migration rate

--3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)

Population

64,692 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

1.8 children born/woman (1992)