The 1997 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,000 (1996 est.)

      GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

      Inflation rate - consumer price index: 3.5% (1996)

      Labor force: NA by occupation: most employment is in the tourist industry (1996)

      Unemployment rate: 0.5% (1994)

      Budget: revenues: $145 million expenditures : $185 million, including capital expenditures of $42 million (1988)

      Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

      Industrial production growth rate: NA%

      Electricity - capacity: NA kW

      Electricity - production: NA kWh

      Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh

      Agriculture - products: aloes; livestock; fishing

      Exports: total value: $1.3 billion (including oil re-exports) (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: mostly refined petroleum products partners: US 64%, EU

      Imports: total value: $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: food, consumer goods, manufactures, petroleum products, crude oil for refining and reexport partners: US 8%, EU

      Debt - external: $669 million (December 1995)

      Economic aid: the Netherlands provided a 1996 aid package of $224 million to Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and Suriname

      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

      Telephones: 22,922 (1993 est.)

      Telephone system: domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links

      Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 4, shortwave 0

      Radios: NA

      Television broadcast stations: 1

      Televisions: 19,000 (1993 est.)

      @Aruba:Transportation

      Railways: 0 km

      Highways: total: NA km paved : NA km unpaved: NA km note : most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior

      Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas

      Merchant marine: total : 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,274 GRT/ 10,130 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3 (1996 est.)

      Airports: 2 (1996 est.)

      Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1

      Military

      Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the

       Netherlands

      Transnational Issues

      Disputes - international: none

      Illicit drugs: drug money-laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; added to the US list of major drug producing or drug transit countries in December 1996 ______________________________________________________________________

      ASHMORE AND CARTIER ISLANDS

       Islands]

      (territory of Australia)

      @Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Geography

      Location: Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of

       Australia

      Geographic coordinates: 12 14 S, 123 05 E

      Map references: Southeast Asia

      Area: total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island

      Area - comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in

       Washington, DC

      Land boundaries: 0 km

      Coastline: 74.1 km

      Maritime claims: contiguous zone : 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

      Climate: tropical

      Terrain: low with sand and coral

      Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m

      Natural resources: fish

      Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops : 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand)

      Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

      Natural hazards: surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards

      Environment - current issues: NA

      Environment - international agreements: party to : NA signed, but not ratified: NA

      Geography - note: Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in

       August 1983

      @Ashmore and Cartier Islands:People

      Population: no indigenous inhabitants note: there are only seasonal caretakers

      @Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Government

      Country name: conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form : Ashmore and Cartier Islands

      Data code: AT

      Dependency status: territory of Australia; administered by the

       Australian Ministry for Sport, Territories, and Local Government

      National capital: none; administered from Canberra, Australia

      Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)

      Independence: none (territory of Australia)

      Legal system: relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia

      Diplomatic representation in the US: none (territory of Australia)

      Diplomatic representation from the US: none (territory of Australia)

      Flag description: the flag of Australia is used

      Economy

      Economy - overview: no economic activity

      @Ashmore and Cartier Islands:Transportation

      Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

      Military

      Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force

      Transnational Issues

      Disputes - international: none ______________________________________________________________________

      ATLANTIC OCEAN

       [Map of Argentina]

      @Atlantic Ocean:Geography

      Location: body of water between Africa, Europe, Antarctica, and the

       Western Hemisphere

      Geographic coordinates: 0 00 N, 25 00 W

      Map references: World

      Area: total: 82.217 million sq km note: includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea,