Chapter 17
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.
Geography Aruba
Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
12 30 N, 69 58 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 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: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
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:
101,541 note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-1999 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.4% (male 9,933/female 9,747) 15-64 years: 70.3% (male 34,123/female 37,228) 65 years and over: 10.4% (male 4,189/female 6,321) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.6 years male: 35.8 years female: 39.3 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.501% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
12.81 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
7.65 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
9.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.06 years male: 72.03 years female: 78.14 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.85 children born/woman (2008 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%, other 20%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80.8%, Protestant 9%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 5.6%, none or unspecified 4.6%
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% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: NA total population: 97.3% male: 97.5% female: 97.1% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.8% of GDP (2005)
Government Aruba
Country name:
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba
Dependency status:
member 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
Capital:
name: Oranjestad geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 (1976)
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 Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten 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 in 2005 (next to be held by 2009) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1
Judicial branch:
Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: environmental groups
International organization participation:
Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba
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. 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. In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993, providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings, and growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.258 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.4% industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
41,500 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining
Unemployment rate:
6.9% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
46.3% of GDP (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2005)
Central bank discount rate:
5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
11.01% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$640.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$792.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.348 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
aloes; livestock; fish
Industries:
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
800 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
744 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
2,356 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
7,102 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
233,300 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
238,200 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006)
Exports:
$124 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2006)
Exports - commodities:
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment
Exports - partners:
Panama 29.7%, Colombia 17%, Netherlands Antilles 13.2%, US 11.3%, Venezuela 10.9%, Netherlands 9.2% (2007)
Imports:
$1.054 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
US 54.6%, Netherlands 12%, UK 4.7% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$11.3 million (2004)
Debt - external:
$478.6 million (2005 est.)
Currency (code):
Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)
Currency code:
AWG
Exchange rates:
Aruban guilders/florins (AWG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)
Communications Aruba
Telephones - main lines in use:
38,700 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
105,700 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed international: country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:
50,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)
Televisions:
20,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.aw
Internet hosts:
17,661 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA
Internet users:
24,000 (2007)
Transportation Aruba
Airports:
1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Military Aruba
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 24,585 females age 16-49: 25,742 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 20,173 females age 16-49: 21,062 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 705 female: 719 (2008 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Transnational Issues Aruba
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Introduction Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Background:
These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, became a marine reserve in 2000.
Geography Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Location:
Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island
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:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards
Environment - current issues:
illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels, are ongoing problems
Geography - note:
Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983; Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000
People Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only
Government Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department
Legal system:
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Economy - overview:
no economic activity
Transportation Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Military Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
Transnational Issues Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Disputes - international:
as the closest Australian territory to Indonesia, these islands became the target of human traffickers for the landing of illegal immigrants; in 2001, the Australian government removed these islands from the Australian Migration Zone making illegal arrivals ineligible for temporary visas and entry into Australia
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Atlantic Ocean
Introduction Atlantic Ocean
Background:
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.
Geography Atlantic Ocean
Location:
body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere
Geographic coordinates:
0 00 N, 25 00 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 76.762 million sq km note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:
111,866 km
Climate:
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from May to December, but are most frequent from August to November
Terrain:
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and coastal portions of the Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm-water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) in the northern Atlantic, counterclockwise warm-water gyre in the southern Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench -8,605 m highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones
Natural hazards:
icebergs common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic Ocean from February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme northern Atlantic from October to May; persistent fog can be a maritime hazard from May to September; hurricanes (May to December)
Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles, and whales; drift net fishing is hastening the decline of fish stocks and contributing to international disputes; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea
Geography - note:
major chokepoints include the Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals; strategic straits include the Strait of Dover, Straits of Florida, Mona Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; the Equator divides the Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
Economy Atlantic Ocean
Economy - overview:
The Atlantic Ocean provides some of the world's most heavily trafficked sea routes, between and within the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Other economic activity includes the exploitation of natural resources, e.g., fishing, dredging of aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and production of crude oil and natural gas (Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and North Sea).
Transportation Atlantic Ocean
Ports and terminals:
Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen (Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal (Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria), Oslo (Norway), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Stockholm (Sweden)
Transportation - note:
Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways; significant domestic commercial and recreational use of Intracoastal Waterway on central and south Atlantic seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of US; the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of littoral states and offshore Atlantic waters as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, the east coast of Brazil, and the Caribbean Sea; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargoes stolen; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Transnational Issues Atlantic Ocean
Disputes - international:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Australia
Introduction Australia
Background:
Aboriginal settlers arrived on the continent from Southeast Asia about 40,000 years before the first Europeans began exploration in the 17th century. No formal territorial claims were made until 1770, when Capt. James COOK took possession in the name of Great Britain. Six colonies were created in the late 18th and 19th centuries; they federated and became the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The new country took advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. In recent decades, Australia has transformed itself into an internationally competitive, advanced market economy. It boasted one of the OECD's fastest growing economies during the 1990s, a performance due in large part to economic reforms adopted in the 1980s. Long-term concerns include climate-change issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer and more frequent droughts, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef.
Geography Australia
Location:
Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
27 00 S, 133 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
25,760 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain:
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum note: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 29% of global coal exports
Land use:
arable land: 6.15% (includes about 27 million hectares of cultivated grassland) permanent crops: 0.04% other: 93.81% (2005)
Irrigated land:
25,450 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
398 cu km (1995)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):