| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Geographical Location |
12° 30' North Latitude
69° 58' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
193 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Natural Resources |
NEGL; white sandy beaches |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
Aruba |
| Capital City |
Oranjestad |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary democracy |
| Administrative Divisions |
None (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| Independence Day |
None (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
71,566 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Aruban; Dutch |
| Ethnic Groups |
Mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
| Languages |
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.47% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) |
| Industries |
Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
| Labor Force |
41,500 (1997 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining |
| Agriculture Products |
Aloes; livestock; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
| Export Partners |
Netherlands 34.4%, Panama 12.8%, Colombia 12.2%, Netherlands Antilles 11.9%, Venezuela 10.9%, US 9.2% (2003) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
| Import Partners |
US 55.3%, Netherlands 13%, Netherlands Antilles 3.1% (2003) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
800 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
1 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+297 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.aw |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
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. |
|
| www.kfrawy.com |
