Aruba ( Aruba) is a country in Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela. Aruba geographic coordinates 12 30 N, 69 58 W; area 193 sq km; area comparative slightly larger than Washington, DC; land boundaries 0 km; coastline 68.5 km; maritime claims 12 nm; climate tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation; terrain flat with a few hills; scant vegetation; elevation extremes Mount Jamanota 188 m; natural resources NEGL; white sandy beaches; land use other:introduction 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. government type parliamentary democracy; capital Oranjestad; administrative divisions none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands); independence none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands); national holiday Flag Day, 18 March; constitution 1 January 1986; legal system based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence; suffrage 18 years of age; universal;

people

Aruba population 71,566 (July 2005 est.); age structure 11.9% (male 3,486/female 5,008) (2005 est.); median age 39.7 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 0.47% (2005 est.); birth rate 11.26 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 82.65 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 1.79 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate NA; hiv people with aids NA; hiv deaths NA; nationality Aruban; Dutch; ethnic groups mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%; religions Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish; languages Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish; literacy NA%;

Cities