parties and leaders: Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS
[leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban
Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA
[Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Tico CROES]; Electoral
Movement Party or MEP [Nelson ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now
or PARA [leader NA]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro
KELLY]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Caricom (observer), ECLAC
(associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (represented by the
Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul
General Barbara J. STEPHENSON

embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao

mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao

telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066

FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489

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

Aruba Economy

Economy - overview: Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy,
although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also
important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last
decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities.
Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985
level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in
1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings,
has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and less than
1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job
vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA%

industry: NA%

services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.2% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 41,501 (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: most employment is in wholesale and
retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil
refining

Unemployment rate: 0.6% (1999 est.)

Budget: revenues: $N