According to countryaah, Aruba is an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Until 1986, the island was part of the Netherlands Antilles. Since 2010, the islands of Curaçao and Sint Maarten have the same status as Aruba. The other islands that were part of the Netherlands Antilles are today an extraordinary municipality of the Netherlands. It was originally intended that Aruba would become completely independent from the Netherlands. However, this never happened for several reasons.
Aruba, like most islands in the Caribbean Sea, was originally inhabited by the Arawaks. An Indian tribe from Venezuela. The island was first discovered by Europeans at the end of the fifteenth century by the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda. The Spaniards colonized the island and built some mines here. In 1636 the island was taken over by the Dutch. Except for the Napoleonic period, this has always remained the case. In the early nineteenth century, gold was found on the island, which caused a small gold rush. Aruba, however, reaped the benefits of this and, partly due to the income from the mines, quickly became a prosperous island.
Today, the tourism industry is Aruba’s main source of income. Every year more than one million tourists come to this beautiful Caribbean island. These come here mainly for the beautiful beaches and the wonderful weather in Aruba. The places Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are the most popular tourist destinations in Aruba. Most people who take a holiday in Aruba do so at Palm Beach, Eagle Beach or in Oranjestad. Oranjestad, the capital, is also a popular dock for cruise ships.
Sights
Despite the fact that Aruba is only a small island, there are still plenty of sights to be found on the island. The most special attraction of Aruba is probably to be found underwater. The underwater world around the island is beautiful and a must see for every diver or snorkeler. Around the island there are six different shipwrecks where various tropical fish have come to live over the years. If you don’t have a diving license yet, you can get one here. Those who do not dare to dive can view the beautiful underwater world of Aruba from a submarine or take an underwater walk at Palm Island.
Points of interest on the island are the two lighthouses of Aruba. The California Lighthouse to the west and the Seroe Colorado Lighthouse to the southeast. One of Aruba’s most famous landmarks, the Natural Bridge, collapsed in 2005. Close to this natural attraction are some smaller naturally formed bridges and a hot spring.
The symbol of Aruba is the Dividivi tree. This tree, which owes its abnormal shape to the constant trade winds that blow past it, can be found everywhere in Aruba. In the capital Oranjestad are the most important museums of Aruba, the historical museum and the archaeological museum.
UNESCO
Aruba has no entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Climate
Like most islands in the Caribbean Sea, Aruba has a tropical climate. A tropical savanna climate with one clearly distinguishable rainy period to be precise. This rainy period starts in mid-August and ends in November. October is on average the wettest month of the year. The climate on Aruba is partly determined by the Caribbean Sea. Partly due to this influence, there are few temperature differences on Aruba and the climate here is very pleasant all year round. The daytime temperature here is on average just above thirty degrees Celsius. In the evening and night it cools down by an average of ten. Temperatures below twenty degrees Celsius are rare here.
The sea temperature here fluctuates around twenty-eight degrees Celsius all year round and can therefore be described as very pleasant. During the rainy season, the average humidity can rise considerably here. During this period it is most pleasant near the sea. In the second half of the year you have a small chance of tropical storms and hurricanes.
Geography
Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela northwest of the island of Curaçao. There are no natural rivers in Aruba, but there is a narrow inner bay called Spaans Lagoen. This is Aruba’s only inner bay. The Spanish Lagoon is surrounded by wetlands with a great diversity of flora and fauna.
Aruba is a fairly flat island. The hill Jamanota is the highest point of the island at 188 meters. From this hill you have a beautiful view over the entire island. Another well-known hill on Aruba is the Hooiberg, this hill is 165 meters high. Aruba is very similar in flora and fauna to neighboring Aruba. Arikok National Park is located in the center of the island.
With approximately 35,000 inhabitants, the capital Oranjestad is the largest city on the island. Other fairly large places on the island are Saint Nicholas, Sabaneta, Barcadera, North, Santa Cruz and the southeastern Ceru Colorado. The most popular tourist destinations in Aruba are Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.
Travel advice
There are no special travel advices for a visit to Aruba. In general, Aruba is seen as a safe travel destination. As in any country you have to be careful with your belongings here. Petty crime such as pickpocketing and car thefts happen here on a regular basis. Organized crime does not exist here.
Tropical storms or hurricanes can occur here in the second half of the year. However, the chance that a hurricane will make landfall in Aruba is very small.
Travel documents
For a visit to Aruba you must be in possession of a passport and a valid return ticket or onward flight ticket. In addition, you must be able to show the name of your hotel or the address of residence on request. You must also be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient financial resources to finance your stay in Aruba. However, these questions will only be asked sporadically. The import and export of drugs and weapons is prohibited here.
Info table
| Capital city | Oranjestad |
| Phone (country code) | 297 |
| Internetdomein | .aw |
| Language(s) (official) | Dutch and Papiamento |
| Language(s) (colloquial) | Dutch, Papiamento, Spanish and English |
| Religion(s) | Catholic |
| Time zone(s) | UTC-4 |
| Time difference summer | In Aruba it is 6 hours earlier than in the Netherlands |
| Time difference winter | In Aruba it is 5 hours earlier than in the Netherlands |
| Daylight Saving Time Control | nee |
| Currency | Aruban florin |
