Aruba (2002) | Kuwait (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 21% (male 7,635; female 7,169)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 23,270; female 24,906) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 3,081; female 4,380) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 27.5% (male 316,237; female 304,671)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 1,007,298; female 569,128) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 38,408; female 21,807) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | aloes; livestock; fish | practically no crops; fish |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 7 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 17,820 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
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. | Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. |
Birth rate | 12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 21.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $135.81 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
revenues: $29.41 billion
expenditures: $17.57 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) |
Capital | Oranjestad | Kuwait |
Climate | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation | dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters |
Coastline | 68.5 km | 499 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1986 | approved and promulgated 11 November 1962 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt local short form: Al Kuwayt |
Currency | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) | Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) |
Death rate | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 2.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $285 million (1996) | $12.18 billion (2003 est.) |
Dependency status | part 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 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON
embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard LEBARON
embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan palace), Kuwait City mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat 13001 Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE 09880-9000 telephone: [965] 539-5307, 5308 FAX: [965] 538-0282 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | chief of mission: Ambassador SALIM al-Abdallah Jabir Al Sabah
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-0702 FAX: [1] (202) 364-2868 |
Disputes - international | none | Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue negotiating a joint maritime boundary with Iran; no maritime boundary exists with Iraq in the Persian Gulf |
Economic aid - recipient | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 | NA (2001) |
Economy - 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. 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 low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. The government's goal of balancing the budget within two years will hamper expenditures, as will the decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the 11 September terrorist attacks. | Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude oil reserves of about 98 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country. |
Electricity - consumption | 418.5 million kWh (2000) | 29.29 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 450 million kWh (2000) | 31.49 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 306 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the water; air and water pollution; desertification |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping |
Ethnic groups | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% | Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% |
Exchange rates | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986) | Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.298 (2003), 0.3039 (2002), 0.3067 (2001), 0.3068 (2000), 0.3044 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001); deputy prime minister NA 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 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31 December 1977); Crown Prince SAAD al-Abdullah al-Salim Al Sabah
head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior NAWWAF al-Ahmad Al Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad Al Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and approved by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $2.58 billion f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2000) | 1.97 million bbl/day (2003) |
Exports - commodities | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment | oil and refined products, fertilizers |
Exports - partners | US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999) | Japan 21.3%, South Korea 14.9%, US 11.5%, Singapore 9.8%, Taiwan 9.3% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | 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 | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a black trapezoid based on the hoist side; design, which dates to 1961, based on the Arab revolt flag of World War I |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $41.46 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 59.5% services: 40% (2003) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.5% (2000) | 4.6% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 N, 69 58 W | 29 30 N, 45 45 E |
Geography - note | a flat, riverless 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) | strategic location at head of Persian Gulf |
Heliports | - | 3 (2003 est.) |
Highways | total: 800 km
paved: 513 km unpaved: 287 km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995) |
total: 4,450 km
paved: 3,587 km unpaved: 863 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity | - |
Imports | $2.61 billion f.o.b. (2000) | NA (2003) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs | food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing |
Imports - partners | US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%, Japan (1999) | US 14.7%, Japan 10.3%, Germany 9.6%, China 6.6%, UK 6.1%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Italy 5%, France 4.2% (2003) |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 19 June 1961 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | -5% (2002 est.) |
Industries | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining | petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing, construction materials |
Infant mortality rate | 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 10.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2000) | 1.2% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
Irrigated land | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) | 60 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) | High Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 41,501 | 1.38 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. (2003 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining | agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 462 km
border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km |
Land use | arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.73%
permanent crops: 0.11% other: 99.16% (2001) |
Languages | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish | Arabic (official), English widely spoken |
Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence | civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1 |
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Islamists 21, government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note - all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National Assembly |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.67 years
male: 75.32 years female: 82.19 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 76.84 years
male: 75.86 years female: 77.86 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5% male: 85.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Middle East |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 NM | territorial sea: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | note: there is one foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1 (2002 est.) | total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,319,082 GRT/3,768,828 DWT
by type: bulk 1, container 6, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 4, petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: India 1, Saudi Arabia 1 registered in other countries: 5 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard | Land Forces, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $2,500.4 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 5.8% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 880,461 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 531,556 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 18,849 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March | National Day, 25 February (1950) |
Nationality | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti |
Natural hazards | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt | sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August |
Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches | petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas |
Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 14.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [Urbana LOPEZ]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY] | none; formation of political parties is illegal |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins, merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and nationalists |
Population | 70,441 (July 2002 est.) | 2,257,549
note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 0.59% (2002 est.) | 3.36%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of expatriates (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas | Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 50,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish | Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and other 15% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996, naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the first time |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links |
general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well supplied with pay telephones international: country code - 965; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG) cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat |
Telephones - main lines in use | 33,000 (1997) | 486,900 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,402 (1997) | 1.42 million (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997) |
Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation | flat to slightly undulating desert plain |
Total fertility rate | 1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 3.03 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.6% | 2.1% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |