o BERLINSKI; Democratic Action '86
(AD '86), Arturo ODUBER; Organization for Aruban Liberty (OLA),
Glenbert CROES
note: governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN

Member of: ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL,
WTO (associate)

Diplomatic representation in US: none (self-governing part of the
Netherlands)

US diplomatic representation: none (self-governing part of the
Netherlands)

Flag: 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

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. Additionally,
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.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1993
est.)

National product real growth rate: 5% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $17,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (1994 est.)

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 refined petroleum products
partners: US 64%, EC

Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products,
crude oil for refining and re-export
partners: US 8%, EC

External debt: $81 million (1987)

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 90,000 kW
production: 330 million kWh
consumption per capita: 4,761 kWh (1993)

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 U