##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Bahamas, The (2002) - Aruba (2005)
Compare Bahamas, The (2002) z Aruba (2005)
| Bahamas, The (2002) | Aruba (2005) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 7,308/female 6,960)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,736/female 25,068) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,486/female 5,008) (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | citrus, vegetables; poultry | aloes; livestock; fish |
| Airports | 67 (2001) | 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 30
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 34 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 3 23 (2002) |
- |
| Area | total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
| Background | Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $918.5 million
expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00) |
revenues: $135.8 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000) |
| Capital | Nassau | Oranjestad |
| Climate | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Coastline | 3,542 km | 68.5 km |
| Constitution | 10 July 1973 | 1 January 1986 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
| Currency | Bahamian dollar (BSD) | - |
| Death rate | 7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Debt - external | $381.9 million (2000) | $285 million (1996) |
| Dependency status | - | part 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 | chief of mission: Ambassador J. Richard BLANKENSHIP
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York |
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 | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $9.8 million (1995) | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 |
| Economy - overview | The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of the majority of tourist visitors. | 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. Construction has boomed, 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. Aruba's small labor force and exceptionally low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade balance. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.432 billion kWh (2000) | 751.2 million kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - production | 1.54 billion kWh (2000) | 807.7 million kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
| Environment - current issues | coral reef decay; solid waste disposal | NA |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
| Ethnic groups | black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
| Exchange rates | Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar) | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
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 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA |
| Exports | $535.8 million (2000) | NA |
| Exports - commodities | fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999) | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
| Exports - partners | US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000) | Netherlands 28.5%, Panama 17.5%, Venezuela 14.7%, Netherlands Antilles 11.2%, Colombia 10.7%, US 10.4% (2004) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
| Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side | 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 | purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2001) | -1.5% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 24 15 N, 76 00 W | 12 30 N, 69 58 W |
| Geography - note | strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited | 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) |
| Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
| Highways | total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1997) |
total: 800 km
paved: 513 km unpaved: 287 km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity |
| Imports | $1.88 billion (2000) | NA |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999) | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners | US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000) | US 55.5%, Netherlands 14.1%, Venezuela 3.3% (2004) |
| Independence | 10 July 1973 (from UK) | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
| Industries | tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
| Infant mortality rate | 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 5.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (2001 est.) | 3.2% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WToO (associate) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 19 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts | Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
| Labor force | 156,000 (1999) | 41,500 (1997 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.) | 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: 0.6%
permanent crops: 0.4% other: 99% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2001) |
| Languages | English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
| Legal system | based on English common law | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4 |
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 NA 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: 69.87 years
male: 66.32 years female: 73.49 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 79.14 years
male: 75.8 years female: 82.65 years (2005 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.) |
definition:
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm |
| Merchant marine | total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/45,859,485 DWT
ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 80, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 22 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.) |
- |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Military branches | Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $20 million (FY95/96) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.7% (FY99) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 10 July (1973) | Flag Day, 18 March |
| Nationality | noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt |
| Natural resources | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land | NEGL; white sandy beaches |
| Net migration rate | -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] | 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 | NA |
| Population | 300,529
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) |
71,566 (July 2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
| Population growth rate | 0.86% (2002 est.) | 0.47% (2005 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Radios | 215,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997) |
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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 96,000 (1997) | 37,100 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 6,152 (1997) | 53,000 (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (1997) |
| Terrain | long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
| Total fertility rate | 2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% (2001 est.) | 0.6% (2003 est.) |
| Waterways | none | - |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.