Aruba (2002) | Saint Kitts and Nevis (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 14 parishes; Christ Church Nichola Town, Saint Anne Sandy Point, Saint George Basseterre, Saint George Gingerland, Saint James Windward, Saint John Capisterre, Saint John Figtree, Saint Mary Cayon, Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Paul Charlestown, Saint Peter Basseterre, Saint Thomas Lowland, Saint Thomas Middle Island, Trinity Palmetto Point |
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:
29.84% (male 5,909; female 5,654) 15-64 years: 61.37% (male 11,870; female 11,915) 65 years and over: 8.79% (male 1,406; female 2,002) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | aloes; livestock; fish | sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish |
Airports | 1 (2001) | 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km) land: 261 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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. | First settled by the British in 1623, the islands became an associated state with full internal autonomy in 1967. The island of Anguilla rebelled and was allowed to secede in 1971. Saint Kitts and Nevis achieved independence in 1983. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed. |
Birth rate | 12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 18.78 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $135.81 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
revenues:
$64.1 million expenditures: $73.3 million, including capital expenditures of $10.4 million (1997 est.) |
Capital | Oranjestad | Basseterre |
Climate | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation | tropical tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November) |
Coastline | 68.5 km | 135 km |
Constitution | 1 January 1986 | 19 September 1983 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
conventional long form:
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis conventional short form: Saint Kitts and Nevis former: Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis |
Currency | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 9.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $285 million (1996) | $115.1 million (1998) |
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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Saint Kitts and Nevis; the US Ambassador in Barbados is accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Dr. Osbert W. LIBURD chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636 FAX: [1] (202) 686-5740 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 | $5.5 million (1995) |
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. | The economy has traditionally depended on the growing and processing of sugarcane; decreasing world prices have hurt the industry in recent years. Tourism, export-oriented manufacturing, and offshore banking activity have assumed larger roles. Most food is imported. The government has undertaken a program designed to revitalize the faltering sugar sector. It is also working to improve revenue collection in order to better fund social programs. In 1997 some leaders in Nevis were urging separation from Saint Kitts on the basis that Nevis was paying far more in taxes than it was receiving in government services, but the vote on cessation failed in August 1998. In late September 1998, Hurricane Georges caused approximately $445 million in damages and limited GDP growth for the year. |
Electricity - consumption | 418.5 million kWh (2000) | 83.7 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 450 million kWh (2000) | 90 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Liamuiga 1,156 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% | predominantly black some British, Portuguese, and Lebanese |
Exchange rates | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
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:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Perlette LOUISY (since September 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS (since 6 July 1995) and Deputy Prime Minister Sam CONDOR (since 6 July 1995) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general in consultation with the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
Exports | $2.58 billion f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2000) | $53.2 million (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment | machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco |
Exports - partners | US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999) | US 68.5%, UK 22.3%, Caricom countries 5.5% (1995 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a broad black band bearing two white, five-pointed stars; the black band is edged in yellow; the upper triangle is green, the lower triangle is red |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - $274 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture:
5.5% industry: 22.5% services: 72% (1996) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.5% (2000) | 5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 N, 69 58 W | 17 20 N, 62 45 W |
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) | - |
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:
320 km paved: 136 km unpaved: 184 km (2000) |
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 | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | $2.61 billion f.o.b. (2000) | $151.5 million (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs | machinery, manufactures, food, fuels |
Imports - partners | US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%, Japan (1999) | US 42.4%, Caricom countries 17.2%, UK 11.3% (1995 est.) |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 19 September 1983 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining | sugar processing, tourism, cotton, salt, copra, clothing, footwear, beverages |
Infant mortality rate | 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (2000) | 2.5% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | 16 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint Kitts and Nevis) |
Labor force | 41,501 | 18,172 (June 1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining | NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
22% permanent crops: 17% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 17% other: 41% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish | English |
Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence | based on English common law |
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 (14 seats, 3 appointed and 11 popularly elected from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 2000 (next to be held by July 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - SKNLP 8, CCM 2, NRP 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.67 years
male: 75.32 years female: 82.19 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
71.01 years male: 68.22 years female: 73.97 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97% male: 97% female: 98% (1980 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela | Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 NM | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
Merchant marine | note: there is one foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1 (2002 est.) | none (2000 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 | Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Police Force, Coast Guard, Royal Saint Kitts and Nevis Defense Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA% |
National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March | Independence Day, 19 September (1983) |
Nationality | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
noun:
Kittitian(s), Nevisian(s) adjective: Kittitian, Nevisian |
Natural hazards | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt | hurricanes (July to October) |
Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches | arable land |
Net migration rate | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -10.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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] | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Vance AMORY]; Nevis Reformation Party or NRP [Joseph PARRY]; People's Action Movement or PAM [Lindsey GRANT]; Saint Kitts and Nevis Labor Party or SKNLP [Dr. Denzil DOUGLAS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 70,441 (July 2002 est.) | 38,756 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.59% (2002 est.) | -0.11% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas | Basseterre, Charlestown |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 3, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 50,000 (1997) | 28,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total:
58 km narrow gauge: 58 km 0.762-m gauge on Saint Kitts to serve sugarcane plantations (1995) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish | Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
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:
1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
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:
good interisland and international connections domestic: interisland links to Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) are handled by VHF/UHF/SHF radiotelephone international: international calls are carried by radiotelephone to Antigua and Barbuda and switched there to submarine cable or to Intelsat; or carried to Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles) by radiotelephone and switched to Intelsat |
Telephones - main lines in use | 33,000 (1997) | 17,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,402 (1997) | 205 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (plus three repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation | volcanic with mountainous interiors |
Total fertility rate | 1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.41 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 0.6% | 4.5% (1997) |
Waterways | none | none |