ough offshore banking and
oil refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded
rapidly between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone.
Unemployment has steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 3%
in 1991 and to less than 1% in 1992. The reopening of the local oil
refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign exchange
earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.2 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
5% (1993)
National product per capita:
$17,400 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.5% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
0.6% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
$145 million
expenditures:
$185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)
Exports:
$1.3 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
mostly petroleum products
partners:
US 64%, EC
Imports:
$1.6 billion including oil for processing and re-export (f.o.b., 1993
est.)
commodities:
food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products
partners:
US 8%, EC
External debt:
$81 million (1987)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
90,000 kW
production:
375 million kWh
consumption per capita:
6,000 kWh (1990 est.)
Industries:
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Agriculture:
poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the
cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing
Illicit drugs:
drug money laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for
the US and Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1980-89), $220 million
Currency:
1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

@Aruba, Communications

Highways:
total:
NA
paved:
NA
unpaved:
NA
Ports:
Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Airports:
total:
2
usable:
2
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
0
note:
government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic
flights
Telecommunications:
more than adequate; telephone density - 1,100 telephones per 1,000
persons; extensive interisland microwave radio relay links; 72,16