About Aruba
The official statistics:
Sources: CIA World Factsheet and CBS May 2007
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.
Location
Aruba is located at a latitude 12 30 North and longitude 70 West and lies about 32 km (19 miles) North from the coast of Venezuela.Aruba is 31 km long and 8 km (5 miles) wide, with an area of 180 km2. (Comparative: the area is slightly larger than Washington, DC)
Population
Year end population in 2006 was 103,484 with a density of 575 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Age structure
0-14 years: 21% (male 50% / female 50%)
15-64 years: 70% (male 48% / female 52%)
65 years +: 9% (male 40% / female 60%)
Median age
total: 35.9 years
male: 34.9 years
female: 36.9 years
Population growth rate: 2%
Birth rate: 11.9 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 10 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Nationality
noun Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Ethnic groups
mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%
Religions
Roman Catholic 82%
Protestant 8%
other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10%
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)
Literacy
definition: NA
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.5%
female: 97.1% (2000 census)
Climate
Temperature is almost at a constant 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees) Fahrenheit with a cooling north-east trade-wind from the Atlantic Ocean.Aruba is located below the hurricane belt. There is little seasonal temperature variation
Government
Aruba is a member country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Full autonomy in internal affairs was obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles. The Dutch Government is responsible for defense and foreign affairs.
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: name: Oranjestad
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Independence: part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March (1976)
Constitution: 1 January 1986
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law, with some English common law influence
Economic 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 1.2 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 71% 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 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 priority
GDP - $1.999 billion (2006)
GDP - % change:6.1% (2006 vs 2005)
GDP - per capita (PPP): $21,031 (2006 est.)
Labor force
41,500 (2004 est.) Most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Unemployment rate: 6.9% (2005 est.)
Inflation rate: 3.4% (2005)
Public debt: 46.3% of GDP (2005)
Currency (code)
Aruban guilder (AWG) or florin (Afl.) which is pegged to the US Dollar at US$1 to Afl. 1.778. The US dollar is also widely accepted on the island.