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NAVIGATION
Aruba
INTRODUCTION
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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. |
GEOGRAPHY
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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
water: 0 sq km land: 193 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% (1998 est.) |
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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) |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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70,441 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 21% (male 7,635; female 7,169)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 23,270; female 24,906) 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 3,081; female 4,380) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.59% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.22 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.67 years
female: 82.19 years (2002 est.) male: 75.32 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.8 children born/woman (2002 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: NA
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |