Compare Aruba (2006) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)

Compare Aruba (2006) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)

	Aruba (2006)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2007)

Administrative divisions	none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 19.5% (male 7,175/female 6,849) 15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,894/female 25,140) 65 years and over: 12.3% (male 3,616/female 5,217) (2006 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	aloes; livestock; fish	-
Airports	1 (2006)	1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Washington, DC	land area is about 0.3 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.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	11.03 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)	-
Capital	name: Oranjestad geographic coordinates: 12 33 N, 70 06 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	-
Climate	tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	68.5 km	698 km
Constitution	1 January 1986	-
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Death rate	6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-
Debt - external	$478.6 million (2005 est.)	-
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	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba	none (overseas territory of the UK)
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	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	none	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	$-11.3 million (2004)	-
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. 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 reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The newly re-elected government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Electricity - consumption	716.1 million kWh (2003)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2003)	-
Electricity - production	770 million kWh (2003)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Ethnic groups	mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%	-
Exchange rates	Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001)	-
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 2005 (next to be held by 2009) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	NA bbl/day	-
Exports - commodities	live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment	-
Exports - partners	Netherlands 33.5%, Panama 16.7%, Colombia 11.9%, US 11.3%, Venezuela 10.1%, Netherlands Antilles 9% (2005)	-
Fiscal 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	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.4% NA% industry: 33.3% NA% services: 66.3% NA%	-
GDP - real growth rate	2.4% (2005 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	12 30 N, 69 58 W	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 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)	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	-
Illicit drugs	transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity	-
Imports	NA bbl/day	-
Imports - commodities	machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs	-
Imports - partners	US 55.9%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.8% (2005)	-
Independence	none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	-
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	-
Industries	tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 5.79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.4% (2005)	-
International organization participation	ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO, WToO (associate)	-
Irrigated land	0.01 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km
Judicial branch	Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)	-
Labor force	41,500 (2004 est.)	-
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining	-
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Languages	Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish	-
Legal system	based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch	unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held by in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.28 years male: 75.95 years female: 82.78 years (2006 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: NA total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA%	-
Location	Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines, Coast Guard	-
National holiday	Flag Day, 18 March	-
Nationality	noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch	-
Natural hazards	lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt	NA
Natural resources	NEGL; white sandy beaches	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-
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]	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	-
Population	71,891 (July 2006 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
Population below poverty line	NA%	-
Population growth rate	0.44% (2006 est.)	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions	Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	37,100 (2002)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	98,400 (2004)	-
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	1 (1997)
Terrain	flat with a few hills; scant vegetation	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	1.79 children born/woman (2006 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	6.9% (2005 est.)	-

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