The 2008 CIA World Factbook, United States. Central Intelligence Agency [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held in 2005 (next to be held by 2009) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 23 September 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 43%, AVP 32%, MPA 7%, RED 7%, PDR 6%, OLA 4%, PPA 2%; seats by party - MEP 11, AVP 8, MPA 1, RED 1

Judicial branch:

Common Court of Justice of Aruba (judges are appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:

Aliansa/Aruban Social Movement or MSA [Robert WEVER]; Aruban Liberal Organization or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Movement or MPA [Monica ARENDS-KOCK]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Mike EMAN]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; Real Democracy or PDR [Andin BIKKER]; RED [Rudy LAMPE]; Workers Political Platform or PTT [Gregorio WOLFF]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

other: environmental groups

International organization participation:

Caricom (observer), ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WCL, WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - Mr. Henry BAARH, Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Diplomatic representation from the US:

the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba

Flag description:

blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy
Aruba

Economy - overview:

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$2.258 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$2.258 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.4% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$21,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 0.4% industry: 33.3% services: 66.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:

41,500 (2004 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:

6.9% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Budget:

revenues: $507.9 million expenditures: $577.9 million (2005 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

46.3% of GDP (2005)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.4% (2005)

Central bank discount rate:

5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

11.01% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$640.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$792.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.348 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

aloes; livestock; fish

Industries:

tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

800 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

744 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

2,356 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

7,102 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

233,300 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

238,200 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006)

Exports:

$124 million f.o.b.; note - includes oil reexports (2006)

Exports - commodities:

live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment

Exports - partners:

Panama 29.7%, Colombia 17%, Netherlands Antilles 13.2%, US 11.3%,
Venezuela 10.9%, Netherlands 9.2% (2007)

Imports:

$1.054 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

US 54.6%, Netherlands 12%, UK 4.7% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$11.3 million (2004)

Debt - external:

$478.6 million (2005 est.)

Currency (code):

Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)

Currency code:

AWG

Exchange rates:

Aruban guilders/florins (AWG) per US dollar - NA (2007), 1.79 (2006), 1.79 (2005), 1.79 (2004), 1.79 (2003)

Communications
Aruba

Telephones - main lines in use:

38,700 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

105,700 (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: modern fully automatic telecommunications system domestic: increased competition through privatization; 3 wireless service providers are now licensed international: country code - 297; landing site for the PAN-AM submarine telecommunications cable system that extends from the US Virgin Islands through Aruba to Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the west coast of South America; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 16, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:

50,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

1 (1997)

Televisions:

20,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.aw

Internet hosts:

17,661 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

NA

Internet users:

24,000 (2007)

Transportation
Aruba

Airports:

1 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

Military
Aruba

Military branches:

no regular indigenous military forces; the Netherlands maintains a detachment of marines, a frigate, and an amphibious combat detachment in the neighboring Netherlands Antilles (2008)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 24,585 females age 16-49: 25,742 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 20,173 females age 16-49: 21,062 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 705 female: 719 (2008 est.)

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Transnational Issues
Aruba

Disputes - international:

none

Illicit drugs:

transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Introduction
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Background:

These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, became a marine reserve in 2000.

Geography
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Location:

Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island

Geographic coordinates:

12 14 S, 123 05 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island

Area - comparative:

about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

74.1 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

tropical

Terrain:

low with sand and coral

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m

Natural resources:

fish

Land use:

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)

Irrigated land:

0 sq km

Natural hazards:

surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards

Environment - current issues:

illegal killing of protected wildlife by traditional Indonesian fisherman, as well as fishing by non-traditional Indonesian vessels, are ongoing problems

Geography - note:

Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983;
Cartier Island Marine Reserve established in 2000

People
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island; access to East and Middle Islands is by permit only

Government
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Dependency status:

territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department

Legal system:

the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (territory of Australia)

Flag description:

the flag of Australia is used

Economy
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Economy - overview:

no economic activity

Transportation
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Ports and terminals:

none; offshore anchorage only

Military
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

Transnational Issues
Ashmore and Cartier Islands

Disputes - international:

as the closest Australian territory to Indonesia, these islands became the target of human traffickers for the landing of illegal immigrants; in 2001, the Australian government removed these islands from the Australian Migration Zone making illegal arrivals ineligible for temporary visas and entry into Australia

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

======================================================================

@Atlantic Ocean

Introduction
Atlantic Ocean

Background:

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than the Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean). The Kiel Canal (Germany), Oresund (Denmark-Sweden), Bosporus (Turkey), Strait of Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (Canada-US) are important strategic access waterways. The decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth world ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Atlantic Ocean south of 60 degrees south latitude.

Geography
Atlantic Ocean

Location:

body of water between Africa, Europe, the Southern Ocean, and the Western Hemisphere

Geographic coordinates:

0 00 N, 25 00 W

Map references:

Political Map of the World

Area:

total: 76.762 million sq km
note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,
Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador
Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the
Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:

slightly less than 6.5