{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "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, semi-autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990."
}
},
"Geography": {
"Location": {
"text": "Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela"
},
"Geographic coordinates": {
"text": "12 30 N, 69 58 W"
},
"Map references": {
"text": "Central America and the Caribbean"
},
"Area": {
"total": {
"text": "180 sq km"
},
"land": {
"text": "180 sq km"
},
"water": {
"text": "0 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative": {
"text": "slightly larger than Washington, DC"
},
"Land boundaries": {
"total": {
"text": "0 km"
}
},
"Coastline": {
"text": "68.5 km"
},
"Maritime claims": {
"territorial sea": {
"text": "12 nm"
},
"exclusive economic zone": {
"text": "200 nm"
}
},
"Climate": {
"text": "tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation"
},
"Terrain": {
"text": "flat with a few hills; scant vegetation"
},
"Elevation": {
"highest point": {
"text": "Ceru Jamanota 188 m"
},
"lowest point": {
"text": "Caribbean Sea 0 m"
}
},
"Natural resources": {
"text": "NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism"
},
"Land use": {
"agricultural land": {
"text": "11.1% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: arable land": {
"text": "arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent crops": {
"text": "permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
"text": "permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)"
},
"forest": {
"text": "2.3% (2018 est.)"
},
"other": {
"text": "86.6% (2018 est.)"
}
},
"Irrigated land": {
"text": "NA"
},
"Population distribution": {
"text": "most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlments tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island"
},
"Natural hazards": {
"text": "hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened"
},
"Geography - note": {
"text": "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 and Society": {
"Population": {
"text": "120,917 (July 2021 est.)"
},
"Nationality": {
"noun": {
"text": "Aruban(s)"
},
"adjective": {
"text": "Aruban; Dutch"
}
},
"Ethnic groups": {
"text": "Aruban 66%, Colombian 9.1%, Dutch 4.3%, Dominican 4.1%, Venezuelan 3.2%, Curacaoan 2.2%, Haitian 1.5%, Surinamese 1.2%, Peruvian 1.1%, Chinese 1.1%, other 6.2% (2010 est.)
note: data represent population by country of birth",
"note": "note: data represent population by country of birth"
},
"Languages": {
"text": "Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)"
},
"Religions": {
"text": "Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes Methodist 0.9%, Adventist 0.9%, Anglican 0.4%, other Protestant 2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010 est.)"
},
"Age structure": {
"0-14 years": {
"text": "17.55% (male 10,524/female 10,437)"
},
"15-24 years": {
"text": "12.06% (male 7,231/female 7,175)"
},
"25-54 years": {
"text": "40.54% (male 23,387/female 25,029)"
},
"55-64 years": {
"text": "14.79% (male 8,285/female 9,383)"
},
"65 years and over": {
"text": "15.05% (male 7,064/female 10,913) (2020 est.)"
}
},
"Dependency ratios": {
"total dependency ratio": {
"text": "47"
},
"youth dependency ratio": {
"text": "25.6"
},
"elderly dependency ratio": {
"text": "21.5"
},
"potential support ratio": {
"text": "4.7 (2020 est.)"
}
},
"Median age": {
"total": {
"text": "39.9 years"
},
"male": {
"text": "38.2 years"
},
"female": {
"text": "41.5 years (2020 est.)"
}
},
"Population growth rate": {
"text": "1.17% (2021 est.)"
},
"Birth rate": {
"text": "11.95 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)"
},
"Death rate": {
"text": "8.54 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)"
},
"Net migration rate": {
"text": "8.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)"
},
"Population distribution": {
"text": "most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlments tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island"
},
"Urbanization": {
"urban population": {
"text": "43.9% of total population (2021)"
},
"rate of urbanization": {
"text": "0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
}
},
"Major urban areas - population": {
"text": "30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)"
},
"Sex ratio": {
"at birth": {
"text": "1.02 male(s)/female"
},
"0-14 years": {
"text": "1.01 male(s)/female"
},
"15-24 years": {
"text": "1.01 male(s)/female"
},
"25-54 years": {
"text": "0.93 male(s)/female"
},
"55-64 years": {
"text": "0.88 male(s)/female"
},
"65 years and over": {
"text": "0.65 male(s)/female"
},
"total population": {
"text": "0.9 male(s)/female (2020 est.)"
}
},
"Infant mortality rate": {
"total": {
"text": "12.39 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"male": {
"text": "16.89 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"female": {
"text": "7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)"
}
},
"Life expectancy at birth": {
"total population": {
"text": "77.76 years"
},
"male": {
"text": "74.66 years"
},
"female": {
"text": "80.93 years (2021 est.)"
}
},
"Total fertility rate": {
"text": "1.83 children born/woman (2021 est.)"
},
"Drinking water source": {
"improved: urban": {
"text": "urban: 98.1% of population"
},
"improved: rural": {
"text": "rural: 98.1% of population"
},
"improved: total": {
"text": "total: 98.1% of population"
},
"unimproved: urban": {
"text": "urban: 1.9% of population"
},
"unimproved: rural": {
"text": "rural: 1.9% of population"
},
"unimproved: total": {
"text": "total: 1.9% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access": {
"improved: urban": {
"text": "urban: 97.7% of population"
},
"improved: rural": {
"text": "rural: 97.7% of population"
},
"improved: total": {
"text": "total: 97.7% of population"
},
"unimproved: urban": {
"text": "urban: 2.3% of population"
},
"unimproved: rural": {
"text": "rural: 2.3% of population"
},
"unimproved: total": {
"text": "total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": {
"text": "NA"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": {
"text": "NA"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths": {
"text": "NA"
},
"Education expenditures": {
"text": "5.5% of GDP (2016)"
},
"Literacy": {
"definition": {
"text": "age 15 and over can read and write"
},
"total population": {
"text": "97.8%"
},
"male": {
"text": "97.8%"
},
"female": {
"text": "97.8% (2018)"
}
},
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
"total": {
"text": "14 years"
},
"male": {
"text": "13 years"
},
"female": {
"text": "14 years (2012)"
}
}
},
"Environment": {
"Environment - current issues": {
"text": "difficulty in properly disposing of waste produced by large numbers of tourists; waste burning that occurs in the landfill causes air pollution and poses an environmental and health risk; ocean environmental damage due to plastic pollution"
},
"Air pollutants": {
"carbon dioxide emissions": {
"text": "0.88 megatons (2016 est.)"
}
},
"Climate": {
"text": "tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation"
},
"Land use": {
"agricultural land": {
"text": "11.1% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: arable land": {
"text": "arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent crops": {
"text": "permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
"text": "permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)"
},
"forest": {
"text": "2.3% (2018 est.)"
},
"other": {
"text": "86.6% (2018 est.)"
}
},
"Revenue from forest resources": {
"forest revenues": {
"text": "0% of GDP (2017 est.)"
}
},
"Urbanization": {
"urban population": {
"text": "43.9% of total population (2021)"
},
"rate of urbanization": {
"text": "0.77% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"
}
},
"Waste and recycling": {
"municipal solid waste generated annually": {
"text": "88,132 tons (2013 est.)"
},
"municipal solid waste recycled annually": {
"text": "9,695 tons (2013 est.)"
},
"percent of municipal solid waste recycled": {
"text": "11% (2013 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government": {
"Country name": {
"conventional long form": {
"text": "Country of Aruba"
},
"conventional short form": {
"text": "Aruba"
},
"local long form": {
"text": "Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)"
},
"local short form": {
"text": "Aruba"
},
"etymology": {
"text": "the origin of the island's name is unclear; according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase \"oro huba\" (there was gold), but in fact no gold was ever found on the island; another possibility is the native word \"oruba,\" which means \"well-situated\""
}
},
"Dependency status": {
"text": "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": {
"text": "parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands"
},
"Capital": {
"name": {
"text": "Oranjestad"
},
"geographic coordinates": {
"text": "12 31 N, 70 02 W"
},
"time difference": {
"text": "UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
},
"note": "etymology: translates as \"orange town\" in Dutch; the city is named after William I (1533-1584), Prince of Orange, the first ruler of the Netherlands"
},
"Administrative divisions": {
"text": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
note: Aruba is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten",
"note": "note: Aruba is one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three are the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten"
},
"Independence": {
"text": "none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)"
},
"National holiday": {
"text": "National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)"
},
"Constitution": {
"history": {
"text": "previous 1947, 1955; latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); in 1986, Aruba became a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands"
}
},
"Legal system": {
"text": "civil law system based on the Dutch civil code"
},
"Citizenship": {
"text": "see the Netherlands"
},
"Suffrage": {
"text": "18 years of age; universal"
},
"Executive branch": {
"chief of state": {
"text": "King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Alfonso BOEKHOUDT (since 1 January 2017)"
},
"head of government": {
"text": "Prime Minister Evelyn WEVER-CROES (since 17 November 2017)"
},
"cabinet": {
"text": "Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten)"
},
"elections/appointments": {
"text": "the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Staten for 4-year term; election last held on 22 September 2017 (next to be held by September 2021)
note: on 30 March 2021, Evelyn WEVER-CROES resigned as prime minister and dissolved parliament, an announcement for new elections is expected soon"
},
"election results": {
"text": "Evelyn WEVER-CROES (MEP) elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA"
}
},
"Legislative branch": {
"description": {
"text": "unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections": {
"text": "last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2025)"
},
"election results": {
"text": "percent of vote by party MEP 35.3%, AVP 31.3%, ROOTS 9.4%, MAS 8%, Accion21 5.8%; seats by party - MEP 9, AVP 7, ROOTS 2, MAS 2, Accion21 1"
}
},
"Judicial branch": {
"highest courts": {
"text": "Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or \"Joint Court of Justice\" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands"
},
"judge selection and term of office": {
"text": "Joint Court judges appointed for life by the monarch"
},
"subordinate courts": {
"text": " Court in First Instance"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders": {
"text": "Accion21 [Miguel MANSUR]
Aruban People's Party or AVP [Michiel \"Mike\" EMAN]
Democratic Electoral Network or RED [L.R. CROES]
Movimiento Aruba Soberano or MAS [Marisol LOPEZ-TROMP]
People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Evelyn WEVER-CROES]
Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR [O.E. ODUBER]
RAIZ (ROOTS) [Ursell ARENDS]
Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]"
},
"International organization participation": {
"text": "Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU"
},
"Diplomatic representation in the US": {
"chief of mission": {
"text": "none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Guillfred BESARIL (since 20 November 2017) is Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba, seated with his cabinet in the Aruba House (Arubahuis) in The Hague"
},
"note": "none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note - there is a Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba, Rendolf \"Andy\" LEE, at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands"
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US": {
"embassy": {
"text": "the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba"
}
},
"Flag description": {
"text": "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; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main \"industries\": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth"
},
"National symbol(s)": {
"text": "Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill; national colors: blue, yellow, red, white"
},
"National anthem": {
"name": {
"text": "\"Aruba Deshi Tera\" (Aruba Precious Country)"
},
"lyrics/music": {
"text": "Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER"
},
"note": "note: local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, \"Het Wilhelmus\" is official (see Netherlands)"
}
},
"Economy": {
"Economic overview": {
"text": "
Tourism, petroleum bunkering, hospitality, and financial and business services are the mainstays of the small open Aruban economy.
Tourism accounts for a majority of economic activity; as of 2017, over 2 million tourists visited Aruba annually, with the large majority (80-85%) of those from the US. The rapid growth of the tourism sector has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction continues to boom, especially in the hospitality sector.
Aruba is heavily dependent on imports and is making efforts to expand exports to improve its trade balance. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US, the Netherlands, and Panama being the major suppliers.
In 2016, Citgo Petroleum Corporation, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela SA, and the Government of Aruba signed an agreement to restart Valero Energy Corp.'s former 235,000-b/d refinery. Tourism and related industries have continued to grow, and the Aruban Government is working to attract more diverse industries. Aruba's banking sector continues to be a strong sector; unemployment has significantly decreased.
" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "1.2% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "-0.1% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "-0.4% (2015 est.)" } }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "-0.5% (2017 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016": { "text": "-0.9% (2016 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "BB (2020)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "BBB+ (2013)" } }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$4.05 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016": { "text": "$4.107 billion (2016 est.)" } }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$2.7 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2017": { "text": "$38,442 (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2016": { "text": "$37,300 (2016 est.)" } }, "Gross national saving": { "Gross national saving 2017": { "text": "14.7% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2016": { "text": "17.2% of GDP (2016 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2015": { "text": "15.5% of GDP (2015 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "0.4% (2002 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "33.3% (2002 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "66.3% (2002 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "60.3% (2014 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "25.3% (2015 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "22.3% (2014 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0% (2015 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "70.5% (2015 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-76.6% (2015 est.)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "aloes; livestock; fish" }, "Industries": { "text": "tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "NA" }, "Labor force": { "text": "51,610 (2007 est.)none
" }, "Trafficking in persons": { "current situation": { "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims; foreign men and women are subject to forced labor in Aruba’s services and construction sectors; Venezuelans overstaying visas are at risk of forced labor in domestic service, construction, and commercial sex; Chinese men and women and Indian men are subject to forced labor in retail businesses and domestic service; managers of some Chinese-owned grocery stores and restaurants exploit children through sex trafficking and forced labor
" }, "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Aruba does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government provided officials with anti-trafficking training, continued an awareness campaign, and continued to implement the 2018-2022 national action plan; however, officials investigated fewer trafficking cases and did not report prosecuting or convicting any traffickers; efforts were hindered by the conflation of trafficking with migrant smuggling; authorities also did not report identifying any victims, including Venezuelan migrants and refugees, who are vulnerable to trafficking (2020)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine" } } }