Aruba
Capital: Oranjestad
History
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
Metric Units
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$2.76 billion |
| Export Items |
live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
| Export Partners |
Colombia 40.8%, Venezuela 20.5%, the former Netherlands Antilles 15.6%, US 8.9%, Netherlands 4.5% (2011) |
| Imports |
$3.48 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
US 50.6%, Netherlands 11.6%, UK 4.7% (2011) |
People
| Population |
109,153 |
| Population Growth |
1.39% |
| Ethnic Groups |
mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 80.8%, Protestant 7.8% (Evangelist 4.1%, Methodist 1.2%, other Protestant 2.5%), Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%, Jewish 0.2%, other 5.1%, none or unspecified 4.6% |
| Life Expectancy |
76.14 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.6 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
