Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Elevation:
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Natural hazards:
lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Climate:
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Agricultural:
aloes; livestock; fish.
Economy:
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.
