Aruba (2007) | Luxembourg (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 3 districts; Diekirch, Grevenmacher, Luxembourg |
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.) |
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 45,768/female 42,980)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 157,453/female 153,927) 65 years and over: 14.6% (male 27,573/female 40,870) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | aloes; livestock; fish | barley, oats, potatoes, wheat, fruits, wine grapes; livestock products |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 2,586 sq km
land: 2,586 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Rhode Island |
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. | Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839, but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both World Wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community (later the European Union), and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area. |
Birth rate | 12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.06 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $13.74 billion
expenditures: $14.49 billion, including capital expenditures of $760 million (2004 est.) |
Capital | name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Luxembourg |
Climate | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation | modified continental with mild winters, cool summers |
Coastline | 68.5 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 1 January 1986 | 17 October 1868; occasional revisions |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
conventional long form: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
conventional short form: Luxembourg local long form: Grand Duche de Luxembourg local short form: Luxembourg |
Death rate | 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.41 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $478.6 million (2005 est.) | $NA |
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 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba | chief of mission: Ambassador Peter TERPELUK, Jr.
embassy: 22 Boulevard Emmanuel Servais, L-2535 Luxembourg City mailing address: American Embassy Luxembourg, Unit 1410, APO AE 09126-1410 (official mail); American Embassy Luxembourg, PSC 9, Box 9500, APO AE 09123 (personal mail) telephone: [352] 46 01 23 FAX: [352] 46 14 01 |
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 | chief of mission: Ambassador Arlette CONZEMIUS-PACCOURD
chancery: 2200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-4171 FAX: [1] (202) 328-8270 consulate(s) general: New York and San Francisco |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $147 million (2002) |
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. | This stable, high-income economy - in between France, Belgium, and Germany - features solid growth, low inflation, and low unemployment. The industrial sector, initially dominated by steel, has become increasingly diversified to include chemicals, rubber, and other products. Growth in the financial sector, which now accounts for about 22% of GDP, has more than compensated for the decline in steel. Most banks are foreign-owned and have extensive foreign dealings. Agriculture is based on small family-owned farms. The economy depends on foreign and cross-border workers for more than 30% of its labor force. Although Luxembourg, like all EU members, has suffered from the global economic slump, the country enjoys an extraordinarily high standard of living. |
Electricity - consumption | 716.1 million kWh (2005) | 5.735 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 2.9 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 6.3 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 770 million kWh (2005) | 2.511 billion kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
lowest point: Moselle River 133 m
highest point: Buurgplaatz 559 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | air and water pollution in urban areas, soil pollution of farmland |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
Ethnic groups | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20% | Celtic base (with French and German blend), Portuguese, Italian, Slavs (from Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo) and European (guest and resident workers) |
Exchange rates | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002) | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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: Grand Duke HENRI (since 7 October 2000); Heir Apparent Prince GUILLAUME (son of the monarch, born 11 November 1981)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Claude JUNCKER (since 1 January 1995) and Vice Prime Minister Jean ASSELBORN (since 31 July 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; following popular elections to the Chamber of Deputies, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the monarch; the deputy prime minister is appointed by the monarch; they are responsible to the Chamber of Deputies note: government coalition - CSV and LSAP |
Exports | NA bbl/day | 634 bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment | machinery and equipment, steel products, chemicals, rubber products, glass |
Exports - partners | Netherlands 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%, Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006) | Germany 22.1%, France 20.1%, Belgium 10.2%, UK 8.4%, Italy 7.3%, Spain 5.9%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004) |
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 | three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and light blue; similar to the flag of the Netherlands, which uses a darker blue and is shorter; design was based on the flag of France |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 0.5%
industry: 16.3% services: 83.1% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $58,900 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | 2.3% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 N, 69 58 W | 49 45 N, 6 10 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) | landlocked; the only Grand Duchy in the world |
Heliports | - | 1 (2004 est.) |
Highways | - | total: 5,210 km
paved: 5,210 km (including 126 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
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; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine | - |
Imports | NA bbl/day | 50,700 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs | minerals, metals, foodstuffs, quality consumer goods |
Imports - partners | US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006) | Belgium 29.8%, Germany 22.6%, China 12.6%, France 12%, Netherlands 4.2% (2004) |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 1839 (from the Netherlands) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2.9% (2004 est.) |
Industries | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining | banking, iron and steel, food processing, chemicals, metal products, engineering, tires, glass, aluminum, information technology, tourism and banking |
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.) |
total: 4.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.79 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2005) | 2.4% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WMO | ACCT, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
Irrigated land | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) | 40 sq km (includes Belgium) (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch) | judicial courts and tribunals (3 Justices of the Peace, 2 district courts, and 1 Supreme Court of Appeals); administrative courts and tribunals (State Prosecutor's Office, administrative courts and tribunals, and the Constitutional Court); judges for all courts are appointed for life by the monarch |
Labor force | 41,500 (2004 est.) | 293,700 (of whom 105,000 are foreign cross-border workers commuting primarily from France, Belgium, and Germany) (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 |
agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2004 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 359 km
border countries: Belgium 148 km, France 73 km, Germany 138 km |
Land use | arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005) |
arable land: 23.28%
permanent crops: 0.4% other: 76.32% (includes Belgium) (2001) |
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) | Luxembourgish (national language), German (administrative language), French (administrative language) |
Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence | based on civil law system; accepts 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 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 |
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des Deputes (60 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 13 June 2004 (next to be held by June 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - CSV 36.1%, LSAP 23.4%, DP 16.1%, Green Party 11.6%, ADR 10%; seats by party - CSV 24, LSAP 14, DP 10, Green Party 7, ADR 5 note: there is also a Council of State that serves as an advisory body to the Chamber of Deputies; the Council of State has 21 members appointed by the Grand Duke on the advice of the prime minister |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.83 years
male: 71.8 years female: 77.91 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 78.74 years
male: 75.45 years female: 82.24 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: 97.3% male: 97.5% female: 97.1% (2000 census) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2000 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela | Western Europe, between France and Germany |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | - | total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 652,454 GRT/805,101 DWT
by type: chemical tanker 16, container 6, liquefied gas 2, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 40 (Belgium 12, Finland 3, France 8, Germany 10, Netherlands 4, United States 3) (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | - |
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) | Army |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $231.6 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.9% (2003) |
National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March (1976) | National Day (Birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte) 23 June |
Nationality | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
noun: Luxembourger(s)
adjective: Luxembourg |
Natural hazards | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt | NA |
Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches | iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land |
Net migration rate | 10 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 155 km (2004) |
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] | Action Committee for Democracy and Justice or ADR [Gast GIBERYEN]; Christian Social People's Party or CSV (known also as Christian Social Party or PCS) [Francois BILTGEN]; Democratic Party or DP [Claude MEISCH]; Green Party [Francois BAUSCH]; Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party or LSAP [Alex BODRY]; Marxist and Reformed Communist Party dei Lenk/la Gauche (the Left) [no formal leadership]; other minor parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | ABBL (bankers' association); ALEBA (financial sector trade union); Centrale Paysanne (federation of agricultural producers); CEP (professional sector chamber); CGFP (trade union representing civil service); Chambre de Commerce (Chamber of Commerce); Chambre des Metiers (Chamber of Artisans); FEDIL (federation of industrialists); LCGP (center-right trade union); OGBL (center-left trade union) |
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.) |
468,571 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.522% (2007 est.) | 1.25% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Mertert |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999) |
Railways | - | total: 274 km
standard gauge: 274 km 1.435-m gauge (242 km electrified) (2004) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10% | 87% Roman Catholic, 13% Protestants, Jews, and Muslims (2000) |
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.) |
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
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) |
general assessment: highly developed, completely automated and efficient system, mainly buried cables
domestic: nationwide cellular telephone system; buried cable international: country code - 352; 3 channels leased on TAT-6 coaxial submarine cable (Europe to North America) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 38,300 (2005) | 355,400 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 108,200 (2005) | 473,000 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 5 (1999) |
Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation | mostly gently rolling uplands with broad, shallow valleys; uplands to slightly mountainous in the north; steep slope down to Moselle flood plain in the southeast |
Total fertility rate | 1.85 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.9% (2005 est.) | 4.5% (December, 2004 est.) |
Waterways | - | 37 km (on Moselle River) (2003) |