The 2002 CIA World Factbook | Page 2

193 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 193 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 68.5 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point:

Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches
Land use: arable land: 11% (including aloe 0.01%) permanent crops:
0% other: 89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Environment - current issues: NA
Geography - note: 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)
People Aruba
Population: 70,441 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 7,635; female 7,169) 15-64 years:
68.4% (male 23,270; female 24,906) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male
3,081; female 4,380) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.59% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7
male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 82.19 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.8 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%
Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim,
Confucian, Jewish
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,
English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy: definition: NA total population: 97% male: NA% female:
NA%
Government Aruba
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form:
Aruba
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
Capital: Oranjestad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands)

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March
Constitution: 1 January 1986
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English
common law influence
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands
(since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo
KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992) head of government: Prime
Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001); deputy prime
minister NA cabinet: Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of
legislative vote - NA% elections: the monarch 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 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December
2005)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats;
members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%,
PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP
12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1 elections: Judicial branch: Joint High Court
of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders: Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS
[leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA];
Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal
Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA
[Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Tico CROES];
Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or CLA [leader NA];
People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; For
a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [leader NA]; National Democratic

Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: Caricom (observer), ECLAC
(associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO
(associate)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the
Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US: Consul General Barbara J.
STEPHENSON embassy: Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX:
[599] (9) 461-6489
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 Aruba
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