Demographics of Aruba
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of Aruba
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Having poor soil
and aridity, Aruba
was saved from plantation
economics and the slave trade. In 1515, the Spanish
transported the entire population to Hispaniola
to work in the copper
mines
; most were allowed to return when the mines were tapped out. The Dutch
, who took control a century later, left the Arawaks to graze livestock, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands. No full-blooded aboriginals remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended mostly from Arawak, and to a lesser extent Dutch, Spanish, and Africa
n ancestors. Recently there has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations, attracted by the lure of well-paying jobs.
The two official languages are the Dutch language
and the predominant, national language Papiamento
, which is classified as a creole language
. This creole language is formed primarily from 16th century Portuguese
, and several other languages. Spanish and English
are also spoken. Islanders can often speak four or more languages and are mostly Roman Catholic.
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and aridity, Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
was saved from plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
economics and the slave trade. In 1515, the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
transported the entire population to Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
to work in the copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
; most were allowed to return when the mines were tapped out. The Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, who took control a century later, left the Arawaks to graze livestock, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands. No full-blooded aboriginals remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended mostly from Arawak, and to a lesser extent Dutch, Spanish, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n ancestors. Recently there has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations, attracted by the lure of well-paying jobs.
The two official languages are the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and the predominant, national language Papiamento
Papiamento
Papiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
, which is classified as a creole language
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
. This creole language is formed primarily from 16th century Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, and several other languages. Spanish and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
are also spoken. Islanders can often speak four or more languages and are mostly Roman Catholic.
Demographic statistics from the CIA World Factbook
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 19.1% (male 9,921; female 9,758)
- 15-64 years: 70.3% (male 34,676; female 37,752)
- 65 years and over: 10.6% (male 4,531; female 6,607) (2009 est.)
Birth rate
- 12.79 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
- country comparison to the world: 158
Death rate
- 7.56 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
- country comparison to the world: 118
Net migration rate
- 9.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
- country comparison to the world: 8
Urbanization rate
- urban population: 47% of total population (2008)
- rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2005-2010 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- total: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births
- country comparison to the world: 132
- female: 9.22 deaths/1,000 live births
- male: 18.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 75.28 years
- country comparison to the world: 82
- male: 72.25 years
- female: 78.38 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 1.85 children born/woman (2009 est.)
- country comparison to the world: 149
Nationality
- by lawDutch nationality lawDutch nationality law is based primarily on the principle of Jus sanguinis and is governed by the Kingdom act regarding Dutch citizenship . Thus citizenship is conferred primarily by birth to a Dutch parent, irrespective of place of birth...
: Dutch - noun: Aruban(s)
- adjective: Aruban; Dutch
Religions
- Roman Catholic - 80.8%
- EvangelistEvangelismEvangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
- 4.1% - ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
- 2.5% - Jehovah's Witness - 1.5%
- Methodist - 1.2%
- JewishJudaismJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
- 0.2% - Other - 5.1%
- unspecified or unknown - 5.3 (2000 census)
Languages
- PapiamentoPapiamentoPapiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
(national language) 66.3% - SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
12.6% - EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
7.7% - DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
(official) 5.8% - Other 2.2%
- Unspecified or unknown 5.3% (2000 census)
Literacy
- definition: n/a
- total population: 97.3%
- male: 97.5%
- female: 97.1% (2000 census)