*Aruba, Geography

Location:
  in the southern Caribbean Sea, 28 km north of Venezuela and 125 km east of
  Colombia
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
 total area:
  193 km2
 land area:
  193 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  68.5 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive fishing zone:
  12 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
  flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Natural resources:
  negligible; white sandy beaches
Land use:
 arable land:
  0%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  0%
 forest and woodland:
  0%
 other:
  100%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

*Aruba, People

Population:
  65,117 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.66% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  15.33 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  6.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -2.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  76.3 years
 male:
  72.65 years
 female:
  80.13 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.83 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Aruban(s)
 adjective:
  Aruban
Ethnic divisions:
  mixed European/Caribbean Indian 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:
 total population:
  NA%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  NA
 by occupation:
  most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)

*Aruba, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Aruba
Digraph:
  AA
Type:
  part of the Dutch realm; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986
  upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles
Capital:
  Oranjestad
Administrative divisions:
  none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Independence:
  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)
Constitution:
  1 January 1986
Legal system:
  based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
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 (OLA), Glenbert
  CROES
 note:
  governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 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:
  Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
  unicameral legislature (Staten)
Judicial branch:
  Joint High Court of Justice
Leaders:
 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)
Member of:
  ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
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

*Aruba, Economy

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.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $900 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  6% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $14,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5.6% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  3% (1991 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including capital
  expenditures of $42 million (1988)
Exports:
  $902.4 million, including oil re-exports (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  mostly petroleum products
 partners:
  US 64%, EC
Imports:
  $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
External debt:
  $81 million (1987)
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
  310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 14,610 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Agriculture:
  poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the
  cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing
Illicit drugs:
  drug money laundering center
Economic aid:
  Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $220
  million
Currency:
  1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Aruba, Communications

Highways:
  NA km all-weather highways
Ports:
  Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Airports:
 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
Telecommunications:
  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

*Aruba, Defense Forces

Note:
  defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands