195 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
195 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
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ARUBA
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(part of the Dutch realm)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 193 km2; land area: 193 km2
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Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 68.5 km
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Maritime claims:
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Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
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Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches
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Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and
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pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
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Environment: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
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Note: 28 km north of Venezuela
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PEOPLE
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Population: 64,052 (July 1991), growth rate 0.6% (1991)
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Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Aruban(s); adjective--Aruban
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Ethnic divisions: mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, also small Hindu,
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Muslim, Confucian, and Jewish minority
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Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese,
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Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
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Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
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Labor force: NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry
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(1986)
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Organized labor: Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: part of the Dutch realm--full autonomy in internal affairs
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obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles
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Capital: Oranjestad
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Administrative divisions: none (self-governing part of the
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Netherlands)
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Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm); note--in 1990 Aruba
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requested and received from the Netherlands cancellation of the
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agreement to automatically give independence to the island in 1996
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Constitution: 1 January 1986
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Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English
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common law influence
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National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March
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Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council
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of Ministers (cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral legislature (Staten)
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Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April
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1980), represented by Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January
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1986);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February
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1989)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Electoral Movement Party (MEP), Nelson ODUBER;
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Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny EMAN;
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National Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro KELLY;
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New Patriotic Party (PPN), Eddy WERLEMEN;
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Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Leo CHANCE;
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Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo BERLINSKI;
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Democratic Action '86 (AD'86), Arturo ODUBER;
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governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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Legislature--last held 6 January 1989 (next to be held by January
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1993);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1, PPA 1
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Member of: ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate),
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WCL, WTO (associate)
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Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing part of the
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Netherlands)
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Flag: blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the
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lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper
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hoist-side corner
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although
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offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important.
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Hotel capacity expanded rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly
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doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has steadily declined from about
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20% in 1986 to about 2% in 1990. The reopening of the local oil
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refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange
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earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.
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GDP: $730 million, per capita $11,600; real growth rate 8.8%
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(1989 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 1.6% (1990 est.)
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Budget: revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including
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capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)
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Exports: $131.6 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--mostly petroleum products;
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partners--US 64%, EC
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Imports: $496 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--food, consumer goods, manufactures;
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partners--US 8%, EC
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External debt: $81 million (1987)
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Industrial production: growth rate NA
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Electricity: 310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,000
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kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
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Agriculture: poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural
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activity to the cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1980-1988), $200 million
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Currency: Aruban florin (plural--florins);
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1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates: Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1--1.7900 (fixed rate
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since 1986)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Ports: Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
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Airfield: government-owned airport east of Oranjestad
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Telecommunications: generally adequate; extensive interisland radio
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relay links; 72,168 telephones; stations--4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable
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to Sint Maarten
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands
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