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Aruba Travel Information and Hotel Discounts |
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Aruba
More Caribbean Islands Travel Guide - Hotels - Rental Cars and
Resort vacations
Find a premier Hotel & Resort at
Hilton Hotels.
or book Sheraton Hotels and Resorts
Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino—A sparkling oasis surrounded by fragrant gardens, exotic lagoons
and cascading waterfalls. Learn more & book online.
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Aruba |
Noord Cura Cabai |
Oranjestad |
Palm Beach |
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Aruba
is an island in the Caribbean Sea,
just a short distance north of the Venezuelan
Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands. Unlike much of the
Caribbean region, it has a dry climate and an
arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has
helped tourism, however, as visitors to the
island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather.
History
Main article: History of Aruba
Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba
was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's
economy has been dominated by three main
industries. A 19th-century gold rush was
followed by prosperity brought on by the opening
in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of
the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism
industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles on
January 1, 1986, and became a separate,
self-governing member of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands. Movement toward full independence
was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Aruba
Aruba is a part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, but maintains full control over its
own affairs except for issues dealing with
national defence, citizenship, foreign affairs,
and extradition. Aruba has its own laws,
constitution, government, and currency.
The Aruban head of state is the ruling monarch
of the Netherlands, who is represented in Aruba
by a governor, appointed for a six-year term.
The head of government is the Prime Minister,
who forms, together with the Council of
Ministers, the executive branch of the
government.
They are elected by the parliament, the
unicameral Legislature or Staten, which holds 21
seats. Members are elected by direct, popular
vote to serve four-year terms.
Aruba is a generally flat, riverless island
renowned for its white sand beaches. Most of
these are located on the western and southern
coasts of the island, which are relatively
sheltered from fierce ocean currents. The
northern and eastern coasts, lacking this
protection, are considerably more battered by
the sea and have been left largely untouched by
humans. The interior of the island features some
rolling hills, the better two of which are
called Hooiberg at 165 m (541 ft) and Mount
Jamanota, which is the highest on the island, at
188 m (617 ft) above sea level. Oranjestad, the
capital, is located at 12°19′N 70°1′W.
As a separate member state of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, the island/state has no
administrative subdivisions. On the east are
Curaçao and Bonaire,two island territories which
form the southwest part of the Netherlands
Antilles; Aruba and these two Netherlands
Antilles islands are also known as the ABC
islands.
The local climate is a pleasant tropical marine
climate. Little seasonal temperature variation
exists, which helps Aruba to attract tourists
all year round. Temperatures are almost constant
at about 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees
Fahrenheit), moderated by constant trade winds
from the Atlantic Ocean. Yearly precipitation
barely reaches 500 mm (20 inches), most of it
falling in late autumn
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ARUBA
With its seemingly endless supply of
white sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters, ARUBA is one
of the more popular Caribbean destinations for many sun-worshipers
and cruise-ship passengers. The smallest of the ABC islands, Aruba
is 25km north of Venezuela and only 30km wide. Over one million
visitors a year come to this tiny island of 90,000 to indulge in the
glitz associated with its luxurious beachside resorts, elegant
restaurants, 24-hour casinos, shops and boutiques. The harbourside
capital Oranjestad attracts many of the visitors, as do
resort-filled Eagle and Palm beaches just north of
town. In stark contrast to these glamorous areas, the rugged
interior is dotted with stands of cacti, twisted divi divi trees and
herds of wandering goats. In the Mars-like landscape of Arikok
National Park , mysterious boulders painted with ancient
petroglyphs and limestone caves are sights not to be missed.
Gold was discovered here in 1824, but
the real economic boom began in the early 1900s when oil was
discovered off the coast of Venezuela and a refinery was built here
in San Nicolas . After its decline in the 1980s, the Aruban
government launched a new initiative, focusing its attention on
large-scale tourism. Seeking more independence and greater control
of its finances, Aruba gained s tatus aparte in 1986, thus
allowing Arubans to have their own parliament, flag, currency and
more freedom in their internal affairs than their counterparts in
the Netherlands Antilles. Today more than half of the population is
employed by the flourishing tourism industry and Arubans enjoy a
higher standard of living than those living on many other islands in
the Caribbean.
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Background:
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Discovered and claimed for Spain
in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The
island's economy has been dominated by three main
industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by
prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil
refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in
the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands
Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of
the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full
independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
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Nationality:
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noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian
80% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant
8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
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Languages:
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Dutch (official), Papiamento (a
Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English
(widely spoken), Spanish |
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Currency code:
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AWG |
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Exchange rates:
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Aruban guilders/florins per US
dollar - 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000),
1.79 (1999) |
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Destination Guides > Central
America & Caribbean > Caribbean |
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