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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 100,018 note: estimate based on a revision of the base population, fertility, and mortality numbers, as well as a revision of 1985-1999 migration estimates from outmigration to inmigration, which is assumed to continue into the future; the new results are consistent with the 2000 census (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.7% (male 9,943/female 9,761) 15-64 years: 70.2% (male 33,553/female 36,661) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 4,046/female 6,054) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 37.3 years male: 35.5 years female: 39 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 1.522% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 12.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 7.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 10 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.019 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.915 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.668 male(s)/female total population: 0.906 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 14.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.83 years male: 71.8 years female: 77.91 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.85 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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Nationality: noun: Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch

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Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%

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Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10%

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Languages: Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) 66.3%, Spanish 12.6%, English (widely spoken) 7.7%, Dutch (official) 5.8%, other 2.2%, unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)

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Literacy: definition: NA total population: 97.3% male: 97.5% female: 97.1% (2000 census)

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. Over 1.5 million tourists per year visit Aruba, with 75% of those from the US. Construction continues to boom, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the country's oil refinery reopened in 1993, providing a major source of employment, foreign exchange earnings, and growth. Tourist arrivals have rebounded strongly following a dip after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The island experiences only a brief low season, and hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80%, compared to 68% throughout the rest of the Caribbean. The government has made cutting the budget and trade deficits a high priority.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.258 billion (2005 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $2.258 billion (2005 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $21,800 (2004 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.4% industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.)

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Labor force: 41,500 (2004 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA% note: most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining

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Unemployment rate: 6.9% (2005 est.)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.4% (2005)

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Budget: revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)

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Public debt: 46.3% of GDP (2005)

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Agriculture - products: aloes; livestock; fish

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Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

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Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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Electricity - production: 770 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 716.1 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 2,363 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - consumption: 7,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Exports: $80 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2004 est.)

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Exports - commodities: live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment

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Exports - partners: Netherlands 27.7%, Panama 25.5%, Colombia 12.8%, Venezuela 11.1%, US 9.4%, Netherlands Antilles 7.1% (2006)

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Imports: $875 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

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Imports - partners: US 53.6%, Netherlands 12.9%, UK 3.6% (2006)

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Debt - external: $478.6 million (2005 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $11.3 million (2004)

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Currency (code): Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)

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Exchange rates: Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year