Illicit drugs: transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine
Military branches: no regular military forces
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,891
females age 16-49: 26,202
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,527
females age 16-49: 21,493
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 767
female: 743
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Airports: 1
country comparison to the world: 209
Ports and terminals: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Telephones - main lines in use: 35,000
country comparison to the world: 176
Telephones - mobile cellular: 131,800
country comparison to the world: 184
Telephone system: general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 mobile-cellular service providers are now licensed
Broadcast media: 2 commercial TV stations; cable TV subscription service provides access to foreign channels; about 20 commercial radio stations broadcast
Internet country code: .aw
Internet hosts: 40,894
country comparison to the world: 100
Internet users: 24,000
country comparison to the world: 187
Tourism and offshore banking are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy. Oil refining and storage ended in 2009. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. Tourist arrivals rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
Dependency status: constituent country 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
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Legal system: civil law system based on the Dutch civil code
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%
Languages: Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80.8%, Protestant 7.8% (Evangelist 4.1%, Methodist 1.2%, other Protestant 2.5%), Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%, Jewish 0.2%, other 5.1%, none or unspecified 4.6%
Population: 107,635
country comparison to the world: 189
note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-99 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census
Median age: total: 38.4 years
male: 36.6 years
female: 40.2 years
Population growth rate: 1.413%
country comparison to the world: 85
Net migration rate: 9.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 12
Urbanization: urban population: 47% of total population
rate of urbanization: 0.6% annual rate of change
Major cities - population: ORANJESTAD (capital) 33,000
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.93 years
country comparison to the world: 84
male: 72.89 years
female: 79.04 years
Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman
country comparison to the world: 150
Education expenditures: 5% of GDP
country comparison to the world: 59
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.5%
female: 97.1%
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 23.2%
country comparison to the world: 36
male: 24.1%
female: 22.9%
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
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
Natural resources: NEGL; white sandy beaches
Land use: arable land: 10.53%, permanent crops: 0%, other: 89.47%
Natural hazards: hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
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)
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.
