OFFICIAL NAME:
Aruba

Geography
Area: 180 sq. km. (112 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capital--Oranjestad (pop. 60,000, 2003).
Terrain: Flat with a few hills; scant vegetation.
Climate: Subtropical.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Aruban(s).
Population (2003): 94,154.
Annual growth rate: 1.63%.
Ethnic groups: Mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%.
Religion:
Roman Catholic 81%, Protestant 3%, Hindu, Muslim, Methodist, Anglican,
Adventist, Evangelist, Jehovah's Witness, Jewish.
Languages: Dutch (official); Papiamento, Spanish, and English also are spoken.
Education: Literacy--97%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--5.2/1,000. Life expectancy--75 years for men, 81.9 years for women.
Work
force (41,501): Most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and
repair, followed by hotels and restaurants and oil refining. Unemployment--about 0.6%.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: Part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Branches: Executive--monarch represented by a governor (chief of state), prime minister (head of government), Cabinet. Legislative--unicameral parliament. Judicial--Joint High Court of Justice appointed by the monarch.
Subdivisions:
Aruba is divided into eight regions--Noord/Tank Leendert, Oranjestad
(west), Oranjestad (east), Paradera, Santa Cruz, Savaneta, Sint
Nicolaas (north), and Sint Nicolaas (south).
Political parties:
Aruba Solidarity Movement (MAS), Aruban Democratic Alliancer (Aliansa),
Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Aruban Liberal Party (OLA), Aruban
Patriotic Party (PPA), Aruban People's Party (AVP), Concentration for
the Liberation of Aruba (CLA), People's Electoral Movement Party (MEP),
For a Restructured Aruba Now (PARA), National Democratic Action (ADN).
Suffrage: Universal at 18 years.

Economy
GDP (2003): $2.021 billion.
Growth rate (2003): 1.4%.
Per capita GDP (2003): $21,158.
Natural resources: Beaches. Tourism/services and oil refining are dominant factors in GDP.
Trade: Exports--$3.48
billion (f.o.b., including oil re-exports, 2002): oil products, live
animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and
electrical equipment, transport equipment. Major markets--U.S. (40.4%), Venezuela (19.9%), Netherlands (10.2%), Netherlands Antilles (14.8%). Imports--$1.5 billion: crude petroleum, food, manufactures. Major suppliers--U.S. (60.4%), Netherlands (12.7%), Netherlands Antilles (3.3%).

PEOPLE AND HISTORY  
Aruba's
first inhabitants were the Caquetios Indians from the Arawak tribe.
Fragments of the earliest known Indian settlements date back to about
1000 A.D. Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda is regarded as the first
European to arrive in about 1499. The Spanish garrison on Aruba
dwindled following the Dutch capture of nearby Bonaire and Curacao in
1634. The Dutch occupied Aruba shortly thereafter, and retained control
for nearly two centuries. In 1805, during the Napoleonic wars, the
English briefly took control over the island, but it was returned to
Dutch control in 1816. 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. In
1986 Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became a separate,
autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward
full independence was halted at Aruba's prerogative in 1990. Aruba has
a mixture of people from South America and Europe, the Far East,
and other islands of the Caribbean.

GOVERNMENT
Part
of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba has full autonomy on all
internal affairs with the exception of defense, foreign affairs, and
the Supreme Court. The constitution was enacted in January 1986.
Executive power rests with a governor while a prime minister heads an
eight-member Cabinet. The governor general is appointed for a 6-year
term by the monarch, and the prime minister and deputy prime minister
are elected by the Staten, or legislature, for 4-year terms. The
Staten is made up of 21 members elected by direct, popular vote to
serve 4-year terms. Aruba's judicial system, which has mainly been
derived from the Dutch system, operates independently of the
legislature and the executive. Jurisdiction, including appeal, lies
with the Common Court of Justice of Aruba and the Supreme Court of
Justice in the Netherlands.

Principal Government Officials
Governor-General—Fredis Jose Refunjol
Prime Minister--Nelson Oduber

POLITICAL CONDITIONS
After
a break in the coalition between the ruling Arubaanse Volkspartij (AVP)
and the Organisashon Liberal Arubano (OLA), the election of July 1998
was pushed forward to December 1997. Unfortunately, the results were
unclear, with votes equally divided between the People's Electoral
Movement Party (MEP), the AVP, and the OLA. After negotiations
failed to unite the MEP and AVP, a new coalition between the AVP and
OLA formed, which forced the MEP to be the opposition. Four years later
in September 2001, the opposition MEP won a decisive victory in a free
election, taking 12 of 21 seats to form Aruba's first one-party
government. Due to its small margin of majority status, the MEP has
left open the possibility of a future coalition partner.

ECONOMY
Through
the 1990s and into the 21st century Aruba posted growth rates around
5%. However, in 2001 a decrease in demand and the terrorist attack on
the United States led to the first economic contraction in 15 years.
Deficit spending has been a staple in Aruba's history, and modestly
high inflation has been present as well, although recent efforts at
tightening monetary policy may correct this. Oil processing is the
dominant industry in Aruba, despite the expansion of the tourism
sector. The sizes of the agriculture and manufacturing industries
remain minimal.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Although
Aruba conducts foreign affairs primarily through the Dutch Government,
it also has strong relations with other Caribbean governments. Aruba is
an observer in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), an associate member
of the World Trade Organization through the Netherlands, and is a full
member of the Association of Caribbean States.

U.S.-ARUBA RELATIONS

Principal U.S. Consulate Officials
Consul General--Robert E. Sorenson
Vice Consul--Jean Akers

The U.S. Consulate
for Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles is located at J.B. Gorsiraweg
#1, Willemstad, Curacao; tel. 599-9-461-3066, fax: 599-9-461-6489,
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Email: info@amcongencuracao.an

Other Contact Information
U.S. Department of Commerce
International Trade Administration
Trade Information Center
14th and Constitution, NW
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 1-800-USA-TRADE

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The
U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include
information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health
conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political
disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements
are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about
terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas
that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free
copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of
Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system:
202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are
available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov.
Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain
information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are
on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning
Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas
Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies,
Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.

The National Passport Information Center
(NPIC) is the U.S. Department of State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S. passport information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT
(1-877-487-2778). Customer service representatives and operators for
TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern
Time, excluding federal holidays.

Travelers can check the latest health
information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web
site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or
requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions
and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International
Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa
requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and
other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your
departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for
this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this
publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov
or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a
country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their
passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an
emergency.


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