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Länder
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the
Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
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Geographic coordinates:
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12 30 N, 69 58 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the
Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than
Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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68.5 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea:
12 nm
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Climate:
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tropical marine; little
seasonal temperature variation |
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Terrain:
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flat with a few hills;
scant vegetation |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
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Natural resources:
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NEGL; white sandy beaches
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Land use:
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arable land:
10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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lies outside the
Caribbean hurricane belt |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
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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)
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Population:
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71,566 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.9%
(male 7,308/female 6,960)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 23,736/female 25,068)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,486/female 5,008) (2005 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 38 years
male: 36.07 years
female: 39.7 years (2005 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.47% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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11.26 births/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.57 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 5.89 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
79.14 years
male: 75.8 years
female: 82.65 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.79 children born/woman
(2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed white/Caribbean
Amerindian 80%
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 82%,
Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
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Languages:
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Dutch (official),
Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely
spoken), Spanish
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Literacy:
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definition:
total population: 97%
male: NA%
female: NA%
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
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Dependency status:
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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 |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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Oranjestad |
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Administrative divisions:
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none (part of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands) |
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Independence:
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none (part of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands) |
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National holiday:
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Flag Day, 18 March |
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Constitution:
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1 January 1986 |
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Legal system:
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based on Dutch civil law
system, with some English common law influence |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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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
28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005)
election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister;
percent of legislative vote - NA |
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Legislative branch:
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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 by NA
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
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Judicial branch:
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Common Court of Justice
of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC,
UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WToO (associate) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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the US does not have an
embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is
accredited to Aruba
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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 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
exceptionally low unemployment rate have led to a large number of
unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent
years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the aftermath of the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The government now must deal
with a budget deficit and a negative trade balance. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$1.94 billion (2002 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1.5% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity -
$28,000 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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Labor force:
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41,500 (1997 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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most employment is in
wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and
restaurants; oil refining
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Unemployment rate:
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0.6% (2003 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.2% (2002 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $135.8
million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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aloes; livestock; fish
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Industries:
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tourism, transshipment
facilities, oil refining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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807.7 million kWh (2002)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption:
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751.2 million kWh (2002)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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6,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Exports:
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$128 million f.o.b.
(including oil reexports) (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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live animals and animal
products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment,
transport equipment
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Exports - partners:
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Netherlands 28.5%, Panama
17.5%, Venezuela 14.7%, Netherlands Antilles 11.2%, Colombia 10.7%, US
10.4% (2004)
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Imports:
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$841 million f.o.b. (2002
est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and electrical
equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs
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Imports - partners:
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US 55.5%, Netherlands
14.1%, Venezuela 3.3% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$285 million (1996) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$26 million (1995); note
- the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and
Suriname in 1996
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Currency (code):
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Aruban guilder/florin
(AWG)
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Currency code:
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AWG |
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Exchange rates:
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Aruban guilders/florins
per US dollar - 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79
(2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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37,100 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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53,000 (2001) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
modern fully automatic telecommunications system
domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless
service providers are now licensed
international: country code - 297; 1 submarine cable to Sint
Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio
relay links
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0
(2004)
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Radios:
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50,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997) |
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Televisions:
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20,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.aw |
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Internet hosts:
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923 (2001) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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NA |
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Internet users:
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24,000 (2002) |
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Highways:
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total: 800 km
paved: 513 km
unpaved: 287 km
note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve
large tracts of the interior (1995) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Barcadera, Oranjestad,
Sint Nicolaas
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Airports:
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1 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular indigenous
military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
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Transnational Issues |
Aruba |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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transit point for US- and
Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity
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Information |
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Här hittar du information om alla världens länder. Listan fylls på efter hand
som jag har tid. |
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-SM3VVZ |
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