United States. Central Intelligence Agency

The 1999 CIA World Factbook


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US: chief of mission: Consul General James L. WILLIAMS embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao

      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 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. 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 less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.

      GDP: purchasing power parity—$1.5 billion (1997 est.)

      GDP—real growth rate: 6% (1997)

      GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$22,000 (1997 est.)

      GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

      Population below poverty line: NA%

      Household income or consumption by percentage share:

       lowest 10%: NA%

       highest 10%: NA%

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1997)

      Labor force: NA

      Labor force—by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1996)

      Unemployment rate: 0.6% (1996 est.)

      Budget:

       revenues: $345.3 million

       expenditures: $378.5 million, including capital expenditures of $107

       million (1997 est.)

      Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

      Industrial production growth rate: NA%

      Electricity—production: 470 million kWh (1996)

      Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

      Electricity—consumption: 470 million kWh (1996)

      Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

      Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

      Agriculture—products: aloes; livestock; fish

      Exports: $1.73 billion (including oil reexports)(1997)

      Exports—commodities: mostly refined petroleum products

      Exports—partners: US 64%, EU

      Imports: $2.12 billion (1997)

      Imports—commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and reexport

      Imports—partners: US 55.5%, Netherlands 12.3%, Japan 3.5%

      Debt—external: $285 million (1996)

      Economic aid—recipient: $26 million (1995); note?the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996

      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

      Communications

      Telephones: 22,922 (1993 est.)

      Telephone system:

       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

      Radios: NA

      Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

      Televisions: 19,000 (1993 est.)

      Transportation

      Railways: 0 km

      Highways:

       total: 300 km

       paved: 130 km

       unpaved: 170 km

       note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large

       tracts of the interior

      Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

      Merchant marine:

       total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,366 GRT/1,595 DWT

       (1998 est.)

      Airports: 2 (1998 est.)

      Airports—with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)

      Military

      Military—note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

      Transnational Issues

      Disputes—international: none

      Illicit drugs: drug-money-laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; added to the US list of major drug producing or drug transit countries in December 1996

      ======================================================================

      @Ashmore and Cartier Islands—————————————

      Geography

      Location: Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia

      Geographic coordinates: 12 14 S, 123 05 E

      Map references: Southeast Asia

      Area:

       total: 5 sq km

       land: 5 sq km

       water: 0 sq km

       note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and

       Cartier Island

      Area—comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in

       Washington, DC

      Land boundaries: 0 km

      Coastline: 74.1 km

      Maritime claims:

       contiguous zone: 12 nm

       continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

       exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

       territorial sea: 3 nm

      Climate: tropical

      Terrain: low with sand and coral

      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m

      Natural resources: fish

      Land use:

       arable land: 0%

       permanent crops: 0%

       permanent pastures: 0%

       forests and woodland: 0%

       other: 100% (all grass and sand)

      Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

      Natural hazards: surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards

      Environment—current issues: NA

      Environment—international agreements: party to: NA signed, but not ratified: NA

      Geography—note: Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983

      People

      Population: