Aruba

Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. Three main industries have since dominated the island's economy: gold mining, oil refining, and tourism. A 19th-century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening of an oil refinery in 1924. 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, semi-autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Central America and the Caribbean

slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

68.5 km

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

NA

most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlements tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

a flat, riverless island known for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Dutch 78.7%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 5.5%, Dominican 2.8%, Haitian 1.3%, other 5.1% (2020 est.)

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that mixes Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, French, African languages, and Arawak) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes Methodist 0.9%, Adventist 0.9%, Anglican 0.4%, other Protestant 2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010 est.)

1.05% (2025 est.)

11.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlements tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.9 (2025 est.)

46.8% (2020 est.)

difficulty in properly disposing waste from tourists; air pollution from waste-burning; water pollution from plastics

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

one of four constituent countries 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

civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

see the Netherlands

18 years of age; universal

Accion21<br>Aruban People's Party or AVP<br>Democratic Network or RED<br>FUTURO<br>Movimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MAS<br>Partido Patriotico di Aruba (Aruban Patriotic Party) or APP<br>People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP<br>Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR<br>RAIZ (ROOTS)

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

<strong>description:</strong> blue, with two narrow, horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper-left corner<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the star stands for Aruba's red soil and white beaches, and its four points for the major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) and the points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main industries, tourism and mining

Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill

blue, yellow, red, white

small, tourism-dependent, territorial-island economy; very high public debt; COVID-19 crippled economic activity; partial recovery underway via tourism, benefitting from its high amount of timeshare residences; considering reopening oil refinery

$3.649 billion (2023 est.)

aloes; livestock; fish

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023)

tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023)

USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023)

refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023)

freedom of the press respected, as guaranteed under Dutch law; newspapers are in the Papiamento language; 2 commercial TV stations, with a cable TV subscription service providing access to foreign channels; wide range of commercial radio stations available (2023)

.aw

P4

1 (2025)

no regular military forces; Aruban Militia (ARUMIL); Police Department for local law enforcement, supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB)) (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security; the Dutch military maintains a presence on Aruba, including a marine company and a naval base (2024)