LOCATION:

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela.

AREA:

Area: total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Washington, DC

POPULATION:

Population: 71,566 (July 2005 est.)

AGE STRUCTURE:

Age structure: 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.)

MEDIAN AGE:

Median age: total: 38 years
male: 36.07 years
female: 39.7 years
(2005 est.)

POPULATION GROWTH:

Population growth rate:
0.47% (2005 est.)

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:

Infant mortality rate:
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.) 

HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:

HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: N/A 

HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :

Ages 15-49: N/A

HIV/AIDS-DEATH

Adults and children deaths: N/A

ETHNIC GROUPS:

Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%

RELIGIONS:

Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish

LANGUAGES:

Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect),
 English (widely spoken), Spanish

LITERACY:

Literacy: definition: total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA%

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

Government type: parliamentary democracy

CAPITAL:

Capital: Oranjestad

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

INDEPENDENCE:

Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

ECONOMY:

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

GDP:

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (2002 est.)

POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:

Population below poverty line: NA

INFLATION RATE:

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.2%
(2002 est.)

UNEMPLOYMENT:

Unemployment rate: 0.6% (2003 est.)

EXCHANGE RATES:

Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2004),
 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000)

ILLICIT DRUGS:

Illicit drugs:transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity