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aruba

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aruba


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Aruba 
  n  :  a  popular  island  resort  in  the  Netherlands  Antilles  [syn:  {Aruba}] 
 
  From  The  CIA  World  Factbook  (1995)  [world95]: 
 
  Aruba 
 
  (part  of  the  Dutch  realm) 
 
  Aruba:Geography 
 
  Location:  Caribbean,  island  in  the  Caribbean  Sea,  north  of  Venezuela 
 
  Map  references:  Central  America  and  the  Caribbean 
 
  Area: 
  total  area:  193  sq  km 
  land  area:  193  sq  km 
  comparative  area:  slightly  larger  than  Washington,  DC 
 
  Land  boundaries:  0  km 
 
  Coastline:  68.5  km 
 
  Maritime  claims: 
  territorial  sea:  12  nm 
 
  International  disputes:  none 
 
  Climate:  tropical  marine;  little  seasonal  temperature  variation 
 
  Terrain:  flat  with  a  few  hills;  scant  vegetation 
 
  Natural  resources:  negligible;  white  sandy  beaches 
 
  Land  use: 
  arable  land:  0% 
  permanent  crops:  0% 
  meadows  and  pastures:  0% 
  forest  and  woodland:  0% 
  other:  100% 
 
  Irrigated  land:  NA  sq  km 
 
  Environment: 
  current  issues:  NA 
  natural  hazards:  lies  outside  the  Caribbean  hurricane  belt 
  international  agreements:  NA 
 
  Aruba:People 
 
  Population:  65,974  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Age  structure: 
  0-14  years:  23%  (female  7,377;  male  7,726) 
  15-64  years:  69%  (female  24,269;  male  21,141) 
  65  years  and  over:  8%  (female  3,223;  male  2,238)  (July  1995  est.) 
 
  Population  growth  rate:  0.65%  (1995  est.) 
 
  Birth  rate:  14.6  births/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Death  rate:  6.17  deaths/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Net  migration  rate:  -1.91  migrant(s)/1,000  population  (1995  est.) 
 
  Infant  mortality  rate:  8.3  deaths/1,000  live  births  (1995  est.) 
 
  Life  expectancy  at  birth: 
  total  population:  76.56  years 
  male:  72.89  years 
  female:  80.42  years  (1995  est.) 
 
  Total  fertility  rate:  1.82  children  born/woman  (1995  est.) 
 
  Nationality: 
  noun:  Aruban(s) 
  adjective:  Aruban 
 
  Ethnic  divisions:  mixed  European/Caribbean  Indian  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:  NA% 
 
  Labor  force:  NA 
  by  occupation:  most  employment  is  in  the  tourist  industry  (1995) 
 
  Aruba:Government 
 
  Names: 
  conventional  long  form:  none 
  conventional  short  form:  Aruba 
 
  Digraph:  AA 
 
  Type:  part  of  the  Dutch  realm;  full  autonomy  in  internal  affairs 
  obtained  in  1986  upon  separation  from  the  Netherlands  Antilles 
 
  Capital:  Oranjestad 
 
  Administrative  divisions:  none  (self-governing  part  of  the 
  Netherlands) 
 
  Independence:  none  (part  of  the  Dutch  realm;  in  1990,  Aruba  requested 
  and  received  from  the  Netherlands  cancellation  of  the  agreement  to 
  automatically  give  independence  to  the  island  in  1996) 
 
  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  Wilhelmina  Armgard  (since  30  April 
  1980),  represented  by  Governor  General  Olindo  KOOLMAN  (since  1  January 
  1992) 
  head  of  government:  Prime  Minister  Jan  (Henny)  H.  EMAN  (since  29  July 
  1994) 
  cabinet:  Council  of  Ministers;  appointed  with  the  advice  and  approval 
  of  the  legislature 
 
  Legislative  branch:  unicameral 
  Legislature  (Staten):  elections  last  held  29  July  1994  (next  to  be 
  held  by  NA  July  1998);  results  -  percent  of  vote  by  party  NA  seats  - 
  (21  total)  AVP  10,  MEP  9,  OLA  2 
 
  Judicial  branch:  Joint  High  Court  of  Justice 
 
  Political  parties  and  leaders:  Electoral  Movement  Party  (MEP),  Nelson 
  ODUBER  Aruban  People's  Party  (AVP),  Jan  (Henny)  H.  EMAN;  National 
  Democratic  Action  (ADN),  Pedro  Charro  KELLY;  New  Patriotic  Party 
  (PPN),  Eddy  WERLEMEN  Aruban  Patriotic  Party  (PPA),  Benny  NISBET 
  Aruban  Democratic  Party  (PDA),  Leo  BERLINSKI  Democratic  Action  '86 
  (AD  '86),  Arturo  ODUBER  Organization  for  Aruban  Liberty  (OLA), 
  Glenbert  CROES 
  note:  governing  coalition  includes  the  MEP,  PPA,  and  ADN 
 
  Member  of:  ECLAC  (associate),  INTERPOL,  IOC,  UNESCO  (associate),  WCL, 
  WTO  (associate) 
 
  Diplomatic  representation  in  US:  none  (self-governing  part  of  the 
  Netherlands) 
 
  US  diplomatic  representation:  none  (self-governing  part  of  the 
  Netherlands) 
 
  Flag:  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 
 
  Overview:  Tourism  is  the  mainstay  of  the  Aruban  economy,  although 
  offshore  banking  and  oil  refining  and  storage  are  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.  Additionally, 
  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  less  than  1%  unemployment  rate  have  led 
  to  a  large  number  of  unfilled  job  vacancies  despite  sharp  rises  in 
  wage  rates  in  recent  years. 
 
  National  product:  GDP  -  purchasing  power  parity  -  $1.1  billion  (1993 
  est.) 
 
  National  product  real  growth  rate:  5%  (1993  est.) 
 
  National  product  per  capita:  $17,000  (1993  est.) 
 
  Inflation  rate  (consumer  prices):  7%  (1994  est.) 
 
  Unemployment  rate:  0.6%  (1992) 
 
  Budget: 
  revenues:  $145  million 
  expenditures:  $185  million,  including  capital  expenditures  of  $42 
  million  (1988) 
 
  Exports:  $1.3  billion  (including  oil  re-exports)  (f.o.b.,  1993  est.) 
  commodities:  mostly  refined  petroleum  products 
  partners:  US  64%,  EC 
 
  Imports:  $1.6  billion  (f.o.b.,  1993  est.) 
  commodities:  food,  consumer  goods,  manufactures,  petroleum  products, 
  crude  oil  for  refining  and  re-export 
  partners:  US  8%,  EC 
 
  External  debt:  $81  million  (1987) 
 
  Industrial  production:  growth  rate  NA% 
 
  Electricity: 
  capacity:  90,000  kW 
  production:  330  million  kWh 
  consumption  per  capita:  4,761  kWh  (1993) 
 
  Industries:  tourism,  transshipment  facilities,  oil  refining 
 
  Agriculture:  poor  quality  soils  and  low  rainfall  limit  agricultural 
  activity  to  the  cultivation  of  aloes,  some  livestock,  and  fishing 
 
  Illicit  drugs:  drug  money  laundering  center  and  transit  point  for 
  narcotics  bound  for  the  US  and  Europe 
 
  Economic  aid: 
  recipient:  Western  (non-US)  countries  ODA  and  OOF  bilateral 
  commitments  (1980-89),  $220  million 
 
  Currency:  1  Aruban  florin  (Af.)  =  100  cents 
 
  Exchange  rates:  Aruban  florins  (Af.)  per  US$1  -  1.7900  (fixed  rate 
  since  1986) 
 
  Fiscal  year:  calendar  year 
 
  Aruba:Transportation 
 
  Railroads:  0  km 
 
  Highways: 
  total:  NA 
  paved:  NA 
  unpaved:  NA 
 
  Ports:  Barcadera  Oranjestad  Sint  Nicolaas 
 
  Merchant  marine:  none 
 
  Airports: 
  total:  2 
  with  paved  runways  2,438  to  3,047  m:  1 
  with  paved  runways  914  to  1,523  m:  1 
  note:  government-owned  airport  east  of  Oranjestad  accepts 
  transatlantic  flights 
 
  Aruba:Communications 
 
  Telephone  system:  72,168  telephones;  1,100  telephones/1,000  persons; 
  more  than  adequate 
  local:  NA 
  intercity:  extensive  interisland  microwave  radio  relay  links 
  international:  1  submarine  cable  to  Sint  Maarten 
 
  Radio: 
  broadcast  stations:  AM  4,  FM  4,  shortwave  0 
  radios:  NA 
 
  Television: 
  broadcast  stations:  1 
  televisions:  NA 
 
  Aruba:Defense  Forces 
 
  Note:  defense  is  the  responsibility  of  the  Netherlands 
 
 
 




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