Guest Author - Eileen Brown

Fast Facts

Capital: Oranjestad
Population: 71,500
Official Language: Dutch (Official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Dutch, English dialect), English
Political Status: Autonomous member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Location: Aruba is the most southern of the Lesser Antilles islands. It is the most westerly of the ABC (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) Islands and is 15 miles from the coast of Venezuela. The island is oblong, 5 miles wide and 18 miles long. Aruba is slightly larger that Washington, D.C..
Agriculture: Aloe, livestock, fish.
Industries: Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining.
Climate: Tropical marine, with little seasonal change.
Terrain: Flat and riverless, with few hills and sparse vegetation.


The first people of Aruba were the Caquetios Indians from the Arawak tribe, who inhabited the island perhaps 4000 years ago. Many years later, around 1499, Spanish colonists arrived and claimed the island for Spain.. In 1636, Aruba was conquered and claimed by the Dutch.

Since colonization, three separate industries have influenced Aruba's economy. The mining of gold in the early 1800's triggered a gold rush that lasted nearly a century. The 1900's brought the discovery of oil and oil refining remained Aruba's strongest industry until the late 1900's. The last several decades have seen a rise in the tourism industry and today tourism is Aruba's primary industry.

Aruba enjoys the highest standard of living among the Caribbean islands, with low poverty and unemployment rates. The small island is renowned for white sand beaches, luxury resorts, fine restaurants and casinos and it has become one of the most popular vacation destinations for North Americans and nearby Venezuelans. Aruba hosts about one millions visitors annually.