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Motto:
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One happy island
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History
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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.
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Geography |
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Location:
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Caribbean, islands between the
Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico. The most northerly of the Leeward
Islands in the Lesser Antilles
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Geographic coordinates:
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12 30 N, 68 58 W |
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Area:
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Total:
91 sq km
Land: 91 sq km total: 180 sq km
country comparison to the world: 224
land: 180 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Coastline:
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68.5 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical marine; little seasonal
temperature variation
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Terrain:
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flat with a few hills; scant
vegetation |
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Elevation
Extremes
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
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Natural
Resources:
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NEGL; white sandy beaches
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2005)
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Natural hazards:
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arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2005)
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Environment - current issues:
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NA
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Environment: |
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)
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People
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Population:
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103,065
note: estimate based on a revision of the base population,
fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of
1985-99 migration estimates from out migration to in migration,
which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results
are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.1% (male
9,921/female 9,758)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 34,676/female 37,752)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 4,351/female 6,607) (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
1.478% (2009 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
12.79 births/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Death rate: |
7.71 deaths/1,000 population
(July 2009 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
9.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Urbanization: |
urban population: 47% of total
population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
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Ethnic groups: |
mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian
80%, other 20% |
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Religions: |
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Roman Catholic 80.8%, Evangelist
4.1%, Protestant 2.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%,
Methodist 1.2%, Jewish 0.2%, other 5.1%, none or
unspecified 4.6% |
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Languages: |
Papiamento (a
Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%,
English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%,
unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census) |
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Literacy: |
definition: NA
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.5%
female: 97.1% (2000 census) |
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Government |
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Country name: |
Aruba |
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Dependency status: |
member country 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: |
name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 (1976) |
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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 in 2005 (next to be held by 2009)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister;
percent of legislative vote - NA |
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Legislative branch: |
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unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members
elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year
terms)elections: last held 25 September 2009 (next to be
held in 2013)election results: percent of vote by party
- AVP 48%, MEP 35.9%, PDR 5.7%; seats by party - AVP 12,
MEP 8, PDR 1
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Judicial branch: |
Common Court of Justice of Aruba
(judges are appointed by the monarch) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or
MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert
CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK];
Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's
Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or
MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER];
RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio
WOLFF] |
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International organization participation: |
Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WMO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (represented by the Kingdom
of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister
Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of 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 is
accredited to Aruba |
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Flag description: |
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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; the star represents Aruba and its red
soil and white beaches, its four points the four major
languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well
as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its
inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue
symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes
represent the island's two main "industries": the flow
of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of
minerals from the earth |
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Economy |
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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. Over 1.5 million tourists per
year visit Aruba with 75% of those from the US. Construction
continues to boom with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level.
In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993
providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange
earnings, and growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly
following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island
experiences only a brief low season. Hotel occupancy in 2004
averaged 80% compared to 68% throughout the rest of the
Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade
deficits a high priority. |
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$2.258 billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.4% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$21,800 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 0.4%industry:
33.3%services: 66.3% (2002 est.)
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Population below poverty line: |
23% (2002) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
5.3% (2006 est.) |
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Labor force: |
41,500 (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade
and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil
refining |
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Unemployment rate: |
6.9% (2005 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million (2005) est |
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Industries: |
tourism, transshipment
facilities, oil refining |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
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Agriculture - products: |
aloes; livestock; fish
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Exports: |
$124 million (2006); |
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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:
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US 69.4%, Brazil 8.7%, France
6.4%, UK 4.5% (2008) |
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Imports: |
$1.054 billion (2006) |
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Imports - commodities: |
machinery and electrical
equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals;
foodstuffs |
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Debt - external: |
$478.6 million (2005 est.) |
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Exchange rates: |
Aruban guilders/florins (AWG) per
US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004),
1.79 (2003) |
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
38,500 (2008) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
127,100 (2008) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
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Television broadcast stations: |
1(1997) |
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Internet
country code: |
.aw |
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Internet hosts: |
17,661 (2008) |
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Internet users: |
24,000 (2007) |
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Transportation |
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Airports: |
1(2009)
Queen Beatrix International Airport |
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Ports and harbors: |
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint
Nicolaas |
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Military |
No regular military forces: the
Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate and an
amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands
Antilles (2009) |
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Note: defense is the
responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest |
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National Anthem |
Aruba Deshi Tera
Aruba, patria aprecia
nos cuna venera.
Chikito y simpel bo por ta,
pero si respeta !
Chorus :
Oh ! Aruba, dushi tera,
nos baranca tan stima !
Nos amor pa bo t'asina grandi,
c'un tin nada pa kibr'e.
Bo playanan tan admira
cu palma tur dorna.
Bo escudo y bandera ta,
orgullo di nos tur.
Chorus
Grandeza di bo pueblo ta
su gran cordialidad.
Cu Dios por guia y conserva
su amor pa libertad.
English Translation
Aruba Precious Country
Aruba beloved home
our venerated cradle
though small and simple you may be
you are indeed esteemed.
Refrain:
Aruba our dear country
our rock so well beloved
our love for you is so strong
that nothing can destroy it. (repeat)
Your beaches so much admired
with palm trees all adorned
your coat of arms and flag
the symbols of our pride.
Refrain
The greatness of our people
is their great cordiality
and may God guide and preserve
its love for freedom.
Refrain
Lyrics by: Juan Chabaya 'Padu' Lampe
Music by: Rufo Inocencio Wever
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Favourite local cuisine: |
Traditionally the Arubans have
enjoyed stoba (stews of peas and beans), funchi and pan bati.
A popular snack is the pastechi, a small pie with cheese or beef
filling. |
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