Aruba (2007) | Akrotiri (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 19.7% (male 9,943/female 9,761)
15-64 years: 70.2% (male 33,553/female 36,661) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 4,046/female 6,054) (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | aloes; livestock; fish | - |
Airports | 1 (2007) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
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Area | total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | about 0.7 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. | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovreignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers in total: Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. |
Birth rate | 12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.) |
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Capital | name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Episkopi; also serves as capital of Dhekelia |
Climate | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Coastline | 68.5 km | - |
Constitution | 1 January 1986 | - |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
Death rate | 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 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 UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
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 | - |
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 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, and 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. | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
Electricity - consumption | 716.1 million kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
Electricity - production | 770 million kWh (2005) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
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Environment - current issues | NA | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base |
Ethnic groups | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20% | - |
Exchange rates | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002) | - |
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 |
chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Maj. Gen. Peter Tomas Clayton PEARSON (since 9 May 2003) note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is 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 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%, Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006) | - |
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 | the flag of the UK is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 N, 69 58 W | 34 37 N, 32 58 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) | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Illicit drugs | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine | - |
Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006) | - |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining | - |
Infant mortality rate | total: 14.75 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2005) | - |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO | - |
Irrigated land | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) | - |
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 |
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Land boundaries | 0 km | - |
Land use | arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005) |
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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) | - |
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 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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.83 years
male: 71.8 years female: 77.91 years (2007 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 97.3% male: 97.5% female: 97.1% (2000 census) |
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Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Middle East |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | - |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2005) | - |
National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March (1976) | - |
Nationality | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
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Natural hazards | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt | - |
Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches | - |
Net migration rate | 10 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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 | 100,018
note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-1999 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2007 est.) |
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; note - there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 1.522% (2007 est.) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10% | - |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.019 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.915 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.668 male(s)/female total population: 0.906 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
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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; landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 38,300 (2005) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 108,200 (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | - |
Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation | - |
Total fertility rate | 1.85 children born/woman (2007 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 6.9% (2005 est.) | - |