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Compare Aruba (2008) - West Bank (2008)
Compare Aruba (2008) z West Bank (2008)
| Aruba (2008) | West Bank (2008) | |
 |  | |
| 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.) |
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | aloes; livestock; fish | olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products |
| Airports | 1 (2007) | 3 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
| Area | total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Delaware |
| 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 September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008. |
| Birth rate | 12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $507.9 million
expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.) |
revenues: $1.149 billion
expenditures: $2.31 billion note: includes Gaza Strip (2006) |
| 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 | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters |
| Coastline | 68.5 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | 1 January 1986 | - |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank |
| Death rate | 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 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 | - |
| 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 | West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region |
| Economic aid - recipient | $11.3 million (2004) | $1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) |
| 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 West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance. |
| Electricity - consumption | 716.1 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - production | 770 million kWh (2005) | NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment |
| Ethnic groups | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20% | Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% |
| Exchange rates | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003) | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (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) | $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) |
| Exports - commodities | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment | olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone |
| Exports - partners | Netherlands 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%, Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006) | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) |
| 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 | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 8%
industry: 13% services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 12 30 N, 69 58 W | 32 00 N, 35 15 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; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) |
| 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 | 235,000 bbl/day (2004) | $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs | food, consumer goods, construction materials |
| Imports - partners | US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006) | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) |
| Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) |
| Industries | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining | generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers |
| 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: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.4% (2005) | 3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006) |
| 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.) | 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch) | - |
| Labor force | 41,500 (2004 est.) | 605,000 (2006) |
| 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: 18%
industry: 15% services: 67% (2006) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km |
| Land use | arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005) |
arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (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) | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) |
| 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.) |
total population: 73.46 years
male: 71.68 years female: 75.35 years (2007 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: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela | Middle East, west of Jordan |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm | none (landlocked) |
| 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) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
| National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March (1976) | - |
| Nationality | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
noun: NA
adjective: NA |
| Natural hazards | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt | droughts |
| Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches | arable land |
| Net migration rate | 10 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 2.71 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.) |
2,535,927
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 46% (2007 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 1.522% (2007 est.) | 2.985% (2007 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10% | Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% |
| 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: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female total population: 1.038 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 38,300 (2005) | 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 108,200 (2005) | 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 30 (2008) |
| Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation | mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east |
| Total fertility rate | 1.85 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% (2005 est.) | 18.6% (2006) |
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