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.

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Central America and the Caribbean

total: 180 sq km
country comparison to the world: 218
land: 180 sq km
water: 0 sq km

slightly larger than Washington, DC

0 km

68.5 km

territorial sea: 12 nm

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Ceru Jamanota 188 m

NEGL; white sandy beaches

arable land: 11.11%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 88.89% (2005)

NA

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

NA

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)

noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch

mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%

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)

Roman Catholic 80.8%, Protestant 7.8% (Evangelist 4.1%, Methodist 1.2%, other Protestant 2.5%), Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%, Jewish 0.2%, other 5.1%, none or unspecified 4.6%

109,153 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191
note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-99 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census

0-14 years: 17.9% (male 9,786/female 9,735)
15-24 years: 13.6% (male 7,427/female 7,405)
25-54 years: 43.4% (male 22,938/female 24,467)
55-64 years: 13.2% (male 6,492/female 7,891)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 5,113/female 7,899) (2013 est.)

total dependency ratio: 44.3 %
youth dependency ratio: 28 %
elderly dependency ratio: 16.4 %
potential support ratio: 6.1 (2013)

total: 38.6 years
male: 36.8 years
female: 40.4 years (2013 est.)

1.39% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88

12.72 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156

8 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

9.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

urban population: 47% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

ORANJESTAD (capital) 37,000 (2011)

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

total: 12.12 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 129
male: 15.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

total population: 76.14 years
country comparison to the world: 85
male: 73.09 years
female: 79.25 years (2013 est.)

1.84 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149

NA

NA

NA

6.7% of GDP (2010)
country comparison to the world: 26

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.8%
male: 96.9%
female: 96.7% (2010 est.)

total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2011)

total: 23.2%
country comparison to the world: 42
male: 24.1%
female: 22.9% (2007)

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba

constituent 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

parliamentary democracy

name: Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

previous 1947, 1955; latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba, but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, following dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2013)

civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN (since 30 October 2009)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten

elections: the monarchy 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 on 25 September 2009 (next to be held by September 2013)
election results: Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 27 September 2013 (next to be held in 2017)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AVP 13, MEP 8

highest court(s): Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatitus and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (consists of the presiding judge, NA members, and NA substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands
judge selection and term of office: Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life
subordinate courts: Courts in First Instance

Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]

other: environmental groups

Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU

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

the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao, currently Consul General Valerie BELON, is accredited to Aruba

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; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth

name: "Aruba Deshi Tera" (Aruba Precious Country)
lyrics/music: Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER
note: local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, "Het Wilhelmus" is official (see Netherlands)

Tourism and offshore banking are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy. Oil refining and storage ended in 2009. 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. Tourist arrivals rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Aruba is heavily dependent on imports and is making efforts to expand exports to achieve a more desirable trade balance. The government has also made cutting the budget and international development high priorities.

$2.516 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

$2.516 billion (2009 est.)

2.4% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

$25,300 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59

agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 33.3%
services: 66.3% (2002 est.)

aloes; livestock; fish

tourism, transshipment facilities, banking

NA%

51,610
country comparison to the world: 190
note: of the 51,610 workers aged 15 and over in the labor force, 32,252 were born in Aruba and 19,353 came from abroad; foreign workers are 38% of the employed population (2007 est.)

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants

6.9% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

revenues: $568.3 million
expenditures: $815.3 million (2012 est.)

22.6% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

-9.8% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

46.3% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 72

calendar year

0.6% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9

1% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102

8.4% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99

$1.022 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149

$1.765 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

$1.594 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

$1.389 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment

Colombia 39.4%, Venezuela 29.3%, US 13%, Netherlands Antilles 4.1% (2012)

$2.039 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

US 46.4%, Netherlands 11.5%, UK 5.4% (2012)

$533.4 million (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174

Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar -

980 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

911.4 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

266,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151

88.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150

11.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23

2,811 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75

228,800 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 100

234,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52

5,661 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

234,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27

6,725 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

1 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96

1 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

1 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

1 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78

0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 107

1.237 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161

43,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 169

135,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 188

general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 mobile-cellular 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)

2 commercial TV stations; cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels; about 20 commercial radio stations broadcast (2007)

.aw

40,560 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 101

24,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 188

1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 210

total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)

major seaport(s): Barcadera, Oranjestad
oil terminal(s): Sint Nicolaas
cruise port(s): Oranjestad

no regular military forces (2011)

males age 16-49: 24,891
females age 16-49: 26,202 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49: 20,527
females age 16-49: 21,493 (2010 est.)

male: 767
female: 743 (2010 est.)

defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands; the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism (2011)

none