The 1990 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

three years, reaching about 5,000% in 1989. Since 1978, Argentina's external debt has nearly doubled to $60 billion, creating severe debt-servicing difficulties and hurting the country's creditworthiness with international lenders.

      GNP: $72.0 billion, per capita $2,217; real growth rate - 5.5% (1989 est.)

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4,925% (1989)

      Unemployment rate: 8.5% (1989 est.)

      Budget: revenues $11.5 billion; expenditures $13.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.93 billion (1988)

      Exports: $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, hides, wool; partners—US 14%, USSR, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands

      Imports: $4.3 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, fuels and lubricants, agricultural products; partners—US 25%, Brazil, FRG, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands

      External debt: $60 billion (December 1989)

      Industrial production: growth rate - 8% (1989)

      Electricity: 16,449,000 kW capacity; 46,590 million kWh produced, 1,460 kWh per capita (1989)

      Industries: food processing (especially meat packing), motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel

      Agriculture: accounts for 15% of GNP (including fishing); produces abundant food for both domestic consumption and exports; among world's top five exporters of grain and beef; principal crops—wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets; 1987 fish catch estimated at 500,000 tons

      Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70–88), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–87), $3.6 billion; Communist countries (1970–88), $718 million

      Currency: austral (plural—australes); 1 austral (A) = 100 centavos

      Exchange rates: australes (A) per US$1—1,930 (December 1989), 8.7526 (1988), 2.1443 (1987), 0.9430 (1986), 0.6018 (1985)

      Fiscal year: calendar year

      - Communications Railroads: 34,172 km total (includes 169 km electrified); includes a mixture of 1.435-meter standard gauge, 1.676-meter broad gauge, 1.000-meter gauge, and 0.750-meter gauge

      Highways: 208,350 km total; 47,550 km paved, 39,500 km gravel, 101,000 km improved earth, 20,300 km unimproved earth

      Inland waterways: 11,000 km navigable

      Pipelines: 4,090 km crude oil; 2,900 km refined products; 9,918 km natural gas

      Ports: Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario,

       Santa Fe

      Merchant marine: 131 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,693,540

       GRT/2,707,079 DWT; includes 45 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 6 container,

       1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 48 petroleum, oils, and lubricants

       (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 18 bulk

      Civil air: 54 major transport aircraft

      Airports: 1,799 total, 1,617 usable; 132 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 335 with runways 1,220–2,439 m

      Telecommunications: extensive modern system; 2,650,000 telephones (12,000 public telephones); radio relay widely used; stations—171 AM, no FM, 231 TV, 13 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; domestic satellite network has 40 stations

      - Defense Forces

       Branches: Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air

       Force, National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture, National Aeronautical

       Police Force

      Military manpower: males 15–49, 7,860,054; 6,372,189 fit for military service; 277,144 reach military age (20) annually

      Defense expenditures: 1.4% of GNP (1987)—————————————————————————— Country: Aruba (part of the Dutch realm) - Geography Total area: 193 km2; land area: 193 km2

      Comparative area: slightly larger than Washington, DC

      Land boundaries: none

      Coastline: 68.5 km

      Maritime claims:

      Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;

      Territorial sea: 12 nm

      Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

      Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

      Natural resources: negligible; white sandy beaches

      Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other

      Environment: lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt

      Note: 28 km north of Venezuela

      - People

       Population: 62,656 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)

      Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)

      Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

      Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

      Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

      Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 80 years female (1990)

      Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)

      Nationality: noun—Aruban(s); adjective—Aruban

      Ethnic divisions: 80% mixed European/Caribbean Indian

      Religion: 82% Roman Catholic, 8% Protestant; also small Hindu, Muslim,

       Confucian, and Jewish minority

      Language: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch,

       English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

      Literacy: 95%

      Labor force: NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)

      Organized labor: Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)

      - Government

       Long-form name: none

      Type: part of the Dutch realm—full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles

      Capital: Oranjestad

      Administrative divisions: none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)

      Independence: planned for 1996

      Constitution: 1 January 1986

      Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence

      National holiday: Flag Day, 18 March

      Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of

       Ministers (cabinet)

      Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Staten)

      Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice

      Leaders: Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January 1986);

      Head of Government—Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989)

      Political parties and leaders: Electoral Movement Party (MEP),

       Nelson Oduber; Aruban People's Party (AVP), Henny Eman; National

       Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro Kelly; New Patriotic Party (PPN),

       Eddy Werlemen; Aruban Patriotic