Country:  Aruba
(part of the Dutch realm)
- Geography
Total area: 193 km2; land area: 193 km2
 
Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
 
Land boundaries: none
 
Coastline: 68.5 km
 
Maritime claims:
 
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
 
Territorial sea: 12 nm
 
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
 
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
 
Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches
 
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures;
0% forest and woodland; 100% other
 
Environment: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
 
Note: 28 km north of Venezuela
 
- People
Population: 62,656 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
 
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)
 
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
 
Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
 
Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
 
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)
 
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
 
Nationality: noun--Aruban(s); adjective--Aruban
 
Ethnic divisions: 80% mixed European/Caribbean Indian
 
Religion: 82% Roman Catholic, 8% Protestant; also small Hindu, Muslim,
Confucian, and Jewish minority
 
Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,
English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
 
Literacy: 95%
 
Labor force: NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)
 
Organized labor: Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)
 
- Government
Long-form name: none
 
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: planned for 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
 
Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
 
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Staten)
 
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)
 
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; governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
 
Suffrage: universal at age 18
 
Elections:
Parliament--last held 6 January 1989 (next to be held by January
1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1
 
Diplomatic representation: 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
 
- Economy
Overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the economy. In 1985 the economy
suffered a severe blow when Exxon closed its refinery, a major source of
employment and foreign exchange earnings. Economic collapse was prevented
by soft loans from the Dutch Government and by a booming tourist industry.
Hotel capacity expanded by 20% between 1985 and 1987 and is projected to more
than double by 1990. Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in
1986 to about 3% in 1988.
 
GDP: $620 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate 16.7%
(1988 est.)
 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1988 est.)
 
Unemployment rate: 3% (1988 est.)
 
Budget: revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including
capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)
 
Exports: $47.5 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--mostly petroleum products;
partners--US 64%, EC
 
Imports: $296.0 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);
commodities--food, consumer goods, manufactures;
partners--US 8%, EC
 
External debt: $81 million (1987)
 
Industrial production: growth rate - 20% (1984)
 
Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,120
kWh per capita (1989)
 
Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities
 
Agriculture: poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural
activity to the cultivation of aloes
 
Aid: none
 
Currency: Aruban florin (plural--florins);
1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
 
Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1--1.7900 (fixed rate since
1986)
 
Fiscal year: calendar year
 
- Communications
Ports: Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
 
Airfield: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad
 
Telecommunications: generally adequate; extensive interisland radio relay
links; 72,168 telephones; stations--4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable to St. Maarten
 
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands until 1996