Aruba: Government#
| Country name | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Aruba etymology: the origin of the island's name is unclear; according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase "oro huba" (there was gold), but in fact no gold was ever found on the island; another possibility is the native word "oruba," which means "well situated" |
|---|---|
| Dependency status | constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy (Legislature); part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Capital | Oranjestad
Oranjestad
geographic coordinates: 12 31 N, 70 02 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) note: Aruba is one of four constituent parts (countries) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the other three parts are the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten |
| Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
| National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March (1976) |
| Constitution | previous 1947, 1955; latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba, but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - in October 2010, following dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (2016) |
| Legal system | civil law system based on the Dutch civil code |
| Citizenship | see the Netherlands |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Fredis REFUNJOL (since 11 May 2004) head of government: Prime Minister Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN (since 30 October 2009) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten) elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Staten for 4-year tern; election last held on 25 September 2009 (next to be held by September 2013) election results: Michiel "Mike" Godfried EMAN (AVP) elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 27 September 2013 (next to be held in 2017) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AVP 13, MEP 8 |
| Judicial branch | highest court(s): Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatitus and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court, in The Hague, Netherlands judge selection and term of office: Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch for life subordinate courts: Courts in First Instance |
| Political parties and leaders | Aruban People's Party or AVP (Michiel "Mike" EMAN) People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP (Evelyn WEVER-CROES) Real Democracy or PDR (Andin BIKKER) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | other: environmental groups |
| International organization participation | Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands); note - there is a Minister Plenipotentiary for Aruba at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba |
| Flag description | 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; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth |
| National symbol(s) | Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill; national colors: blue, yellow, red, white |
| National anthem | name: "Aruba Deshi Tera" (Aruba Precious Country) lyrics/music: Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER note: local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, "Het Wilhelmus" is official (see Netherlands) |