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Compare Spratly Islands (2005) - Aruba (2002)
Compare Spratly Islands (2005) z Aruba (2002)
| Spratly Islands (2005) | Aruba (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | - | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 21% (male 7,635; female 7,169)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 23,270; female 24,906) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 3,081; female 4,380) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | - | aloes; livestock; fish |
| Airports | 3 (2004 est.) | 1 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 less than 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
- |
| Area | total: less than 5 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea |
total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | NA | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
| Background | The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef, but has not made any formal claim. | 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 | - | 12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | - | revenues: $135.81 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
| Capital | - | Oranjestad |
| Climate | tropical | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Coastline | 926 km | 68.5 km |
| Constitution | - | 1 January 1986 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
| Currency | - | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) |
| Death rate | - | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | - | $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: Consul General Deborah A. BOLTON
embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Disputes - international | all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the reef; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," which has eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct"; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratlys | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 |
| Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored; there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. | 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 low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. The government's goal of balancing the budget within two years will hamper expenditures, as will the decline in stopover tourist arrivals following the 11 September terrorist attacks. |
| Electricity - consumption | - | 418.5 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | - | 450 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | NA |
| Ethnic groups | - | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
| Exchange rates | - | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986) |
| Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001); deputy prime minister NA 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 | - | $2.58 billion f.o.b. (including oil reexports) (2000) |
| Exports - commodities | - | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
| Exports - partners | - | US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999) |
| 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 | - | purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (1999 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 2.5% (2000) |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 38 N, 111 55 E | 12 30 N, 69 58 W |
| Geography - note | strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs | 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) |
| Highways | - | 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% |
| Illicit drugs | - | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity |
| Imports | - | $2.61 billion f.o.b. (2000) |
| Imports - commodities | - | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners | - | US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%, Japan (1999) |
| Independence | - | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
| Industries | - | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
| Infant mortality rate | - | 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 4% (2000) |
| International organization participation | - | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | - | Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
| Labor force | - | 41,501 |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | 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%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | - | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
| 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 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1 |
| Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 78.67 years
male: 75.32 years female: 82.19 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | - | definition: NA
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
| Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | NA | territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | - | note: there is one foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1 (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard |
| National holiday | - | Flag Day, 18 March |
| Nationality | - | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
| Natural hazards | typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt |
| Natural resources | fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential | NEGL; white sandy beaches |
| Net migration rate | - | NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | - | Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [Urbana LOPEZ]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
| Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (2004) |
70,441 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | - | 0.59% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
| Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 50,000 (1997) |
| Railways | - | 0 km |
| Religions | - | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
| Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links |
| Telephones - main lines in use | - | 33,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 3,402 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
| Terrain | flat | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
| Total fertility rate | - | 1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | - | 0.6% |
| Waterways | - | none |
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