Aruba

From Imakoopedia

Aruba is a Caribbean island off the coast of Central America and north of Venezuela. The island is an autonymous dependency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is 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).

Table of contents

1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 18 External links 19 Geography 20 People 21 Government 22 Economy 23 Communications 24 Transportation 25 Transnational Issues

Regions

Cities

• Oranjestad - Capital
• Barcadera
• Sint Nicolaas

Other destinations

Understand

Climate

Tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Natural hazards 

lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

Terrain

The island is flat with a few hills, scant vegetation and neglible natural resources other than white sandy beaches.

Highest point 

Mount Jamanota 188 m

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 (Bonaire and Curacao, the ABC-Islands)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.

Independence 

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National holiday 

Flag Day, 18 March

Constitution 

1 January 1986

Get in

By plane

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

Get around

Talk

Languages 

Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Respect

Contact

External links

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Geography

Geographic coordinates 

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Area 

total: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 193 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Coastline 

68.5 km

Maritime claims 

territorial sea: 12 NM

Land use 

arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

0.01 sq km (1998 est.)

People

Population 

70,441 (July 2002 est.)

Nationality 

noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch

Ethnic groups 

mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%

Religions 

Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish

Government

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

Government type 

parliamentary democracy

Legal system 

based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

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

Economy

Economy - 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. 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.

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

Industries 

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Agriculture - products 

aloes; livestock; fish

Exports - commodities 

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

Imports - commodities 

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

Currency 

Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)

Currency code 

AWG

Exchange rates 

Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

33,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

3,402 (1997)

Telephone system 

general assessment: NA
domestic: more than adequate
international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

50,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

1 (1997)

Televisions 

20,000 (1997)

Internet country code 

.aw

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

NA

Internet users 

24,000 (2002)

Transportation

Highways 

total: 800 km
paved: 513 km
note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995)
unpaved: 287 km

Airports 

1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Transnational Issues

Illicit drugs 

transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity