Compare Aruba (2008) - Pacific Ocean (2004)

Compare Aruba (2008) z Pacific Ocean (2004)

	Aruba (2008)	Pacific Ocean (2004)

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.)	-
Agriculture - products	aloes; livestock; fish	-
Airports	1 (2007)	-
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)	-
Area	total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 155.557 million sq km note: includes Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Washington, DC	about 15 times the size of the US; covers about 28% of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
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.	The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the world's five oceans (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). Strategically important access waterways include the La Perouse, Tsugaru, Tsushima, Taiwan, Singapore, and Torres Straits. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of 60 degrees south.
Birth rate	12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 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)	-
Climate	tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation	planetary air pressure systems and resultant wind patterns exhibit remarkable uniformity in the south and east; trade winds and westerly winds are well-developed patterns, modified by seasonal fluctuations; tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico from June to October and affect Mexico and Central America; continental influences cause climatic uniformity to be much less pronounced in the eastern and western regions at the same latitude in the North Pacific Ocean; the western Pacific is monsoonal - a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian landmass back to the ocean; tropical cyclones (typhoons) may strike southeast and east Asia from May to December
Coastline	68.5 km	135,663 km
Constitution	1 January 1986	-
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba	-
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	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba	-
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	-
Disputes - international	none	some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
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.	The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1996, over 60% of the world's fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever-increasing role in the energy supplies of the US, Australia, NZ, China, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the wide swings in world prices for oil since 1985, has led to fluctuations in new drillings.
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	lowest point: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench -10,924 m highest point: sea level 0 m
Environment - current issues	NA	endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea
Ethnic groups	mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%	-
Exchange rates	Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)	-
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	-
Exports	230,600 bbl/day (2004)	-
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	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.4% industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	2.4% (2005 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	12 30 N, 69 58 W	0 00 N, 160 00 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)	the major chokepoints are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean
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; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine	-
Imports	235,000 bbl/day (2004)	-
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.)	-
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	-
Land boundaries	0 km	-
Land use	arable land: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005)	-
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	-
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	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 74.83 years male: 71.8 years female: 77.91 years (2007 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: NA total population: 97.3% male: 97.5% female: 97.1% (2000 census)	-
Location	Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela	body of water between the Southern Ocean, Asia, Australia, and the Western Hemisphere
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm	-
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)	-
National holiday	Flag Day, 18 March (1976)	-
Nationality	noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch	-
Natural hazards	lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt	surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the "Pacific Ring of Fire"; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); cyclical El Nino/La Nina phenomenon occurs in the equatorial Pacific, influencing weather in the Western Hemisphere and the western Pacific; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May; persistent fog in the northern Pacific can be a maritime hazard from June to December
Natural resources	NEGL; white sandy beaches	oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
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.)	-
Population below poverty line	NA%	-
Population growth rate	1.522% (2007 est.)	-
Ports and harbors	-	Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Kao-hsiung (Taiwan), Los Angeles (US), Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US), Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (Russia), Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
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.)	-
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)	-
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	surface currents in the northern Pacific are dominated by a clockwise, warm-water gyre (broad circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool-water gyre; in the northern Pacific, sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in winter; in the southern Pacific, sea ice from Antarctica reaches its northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the world's deepest
Total fertility rate	1.85 children born/woman (2007 est.)	-
Transportation - note	-	Inside Passage offers protected waters from southeast Alaska to Puget Sound (Washington state)
Unemployment rate	6.9% (2005 est.)	-

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