ng victim protection and assistance; while the government
elevated anti-trafficking responsibilities to the ministerial level,
adopted a new National Action Plan, and drafted a National Referral
Mechanism, it has yet to show tangible progress in identifying and
protecting victims or in tackling trafficking complicity of
government officials; the Armenian Government made some notable
improvements in its anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, but it
failed to demonstrate evidence of investigations, prosecutions,
convictions, and sentences of officials complicit in trafficking
(2008)

Illicit drugs:

illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic
consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium
and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser
extent the rest of Europe

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Aruba

Introduction
Aruba

Background:

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
Aruba

Location:

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

68.5 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m

Natural resources:

NEGL; white sandy beaches

Land use:

arable land: 10.53%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 89.47% (2005)

Irrigated land:

0.01 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurrica