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___ Aruba

Aruba's northern coast
Aruba's rough northern coast.
Image: Fayronlopez
 
Aruba Flag
Flag of Aruba
Location map of Aruba. Where in the world is Aruba
Location map of Aruba
Destination Aruba, a virtual travel guide to this Dutch island off the coast of Venezuela in the South Caribbean Sea.

Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba is known as one of the ABC islands. Formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, today Aruba is one of the four constituent countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

With an area of 180 km² , the island is the size of Liechtenstein, or slightly larger than Washington, DC.

Aruba today has a population of 110,000 (Dec. 2015). Capital and largest city is Oranjestad. Spoken languages are Dutch, English and Papiamento.

This page aims to give you a broad overview of Aruba's art, culture, people, environment, geography, history, economy and government.

 

Aruba


Country Profile



Background:

The flat, riverless island in the Caribbean Sea, is located just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Peninsula Paraguaná. Aruba is renowned 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).

related countries: Netherlands

close to: Colombia and Venezuela
 
 

Official Name:
Aruba

ISO Country Code: aw

Time:
Local Time = UTC -4h
Actual Time: Fri-Mar-29  09:42

Country Calling Code: +297

Capital City: Oranjestad

Other Cities: San Nicolaas (St. Nicolaas)

Government:
Type: Parliamentary Democracy
Dependency status: Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986; responsible for defense and foreign affairs is the Dutch Government.

Geography:
Location: Caribbean, island in the South Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela.
Area: 180 km² (69 sq miles)
Terrain: Flat with a few hills.

Climate: Tropical marine.

People:
Nationality: Aruban(s), Dutch
Population: 110,000 (Dec. 2015)
Ethnic Groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%.
Religions: Christian 90%, Hindu, Muslim.
Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish.
Literacy: 97%

Natural resources: Sun, sand, sea, surf.

Agriculture products: Aloes; livestock; fish.

Industries: Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining.

Exports partners: Colombia 28.2%, Netherlands Antilles 18.1%, USA 14.3%, Netherlands 10.1%, Mexico 6.5%, Venezuela 6.3%, Panama 4.1% (2015)

Imports partners: USA 55.4%, Netherlands 11.2%,

Currency: Aruban Guilder/Florin (AWG); U.S. Dollars and Euros are widely accepted.


Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Aruba

Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba's political system is a unitary parliamentary representative democracy under a constitutional monarchy. Aruba has its own constitution, currency and government. The island enjoys complete inner autonomy.

Government of Aruba
Information on Aruba's Government.


Diplomatic Missions
Dutch Missions Abroad
Addresses of Dutch missions by country.
Entry Requirements for Aruba
Information for people planning to visit Aruba.


Statistics
Aruba Central Bureau of Statistics
Page with information on the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).


Maps

Map of Aruba
Political Map of Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Google Earth Google Earth Aruba
Searchable map and satellite view of Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Google Earth Google Earth Oranjestad
Searchable map and satellite view of Aruba's capital city.

Map of Central America and the Caribbean
Reference Map of Central America and the Caribbean. 
 

Aruba News


Amigoe.com
Daily news from Curacao (Dutch and English)
Aruba Today
Aruba news in PDF format.
Diario Aruba
Aruba news (in Papiamento)
Bon Dia
Aruba news in PDF format (in Papiamento)
 

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Arts & Culture


Aruba Apart
Aruba images by the Aruban photographer Nadine Salas.
Aruba - Island Temptations
Touching the Soul of the Caribbean - leisure magazine.
BNA - Biblioteca Nacional di Aruba
Aruba's National Library.
Instituto di Cultura Aruba
Information on Aruba's cultural activities (in Papiamento).
 
 

Business & Economy


Centrale Bank van Aruba
Official site of Aruba's Central Bank.
Aruban Investment Bank
A local bank.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aruba
Information about the services of the Chamber.

Free Zone Aruba NV
Aruba's transit trade zone.

Aruba Business Directory
Visit Aruba's Business Directory.

Transportation
Airline
Air Aruba 
The national carrier of Aruba.

Aruba Ports Authority NV
Official APA site, with information about the government owned company.
 
 
Riu Palace Hotel Aruba
Riu Palace Hotel Aruba
Image: Mats Adamczak

Travel and Tour Consumer Information


Destination Aruba - Travel and Tour Guides


Discover Aruba: Find guides to accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, parasailing, horseback riding, dinner shows, casinos, cruising, diving and snorkeling tours and much more.

Aruba.com
The Official Tourism and Travel Website of Aruba with comprehensive information about the island.
Interactive eBrochures of Aruba
Download Rich Media Electronic PDF Files, eBooks, eMagazines.

Enjoy Aruba
Another travel and tourism guide.
Visit Aruba
This site originates in Aruba and is maintained by Arubans.

The Aruba Forums
Popular Aruba Bulletin Board.

Aruba - Der letzte Schrei in der Karibik
Information on Aruba in German by Aruba Tourism Authority
Germany.
 
 

Education

Education in Aruba
Information on the education system of Aruba, which is organized along similar lines as the system in the Netherlands.
Universiteit van de Nederlandse Antillen
University of the Netherlands Antilles on Curaçao.
 
 

Environment & Nature

Arikok National Park
Approximately 18 percent of the island belong to this national park.
 
 

History

History of Aruba
Brief information on Aruba's history.
 
 

Search

Aruba Links
Directory of Aruba sites.

Open Directory Project: Aruba

Sources and additional Information on Aruba

BBC Country Profile: Aruba

LANIC Aruba

Wikipedia: Aruba

The World Factbook -- Aruba
 
 Support UNICEF

Other Countries and Territories in the Caribbean
Anguilla | Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas | Barbados | British Virgin Islands | Cuba | Dominica
Dominican Republic | Grenada | Guadeloupe | Haiti | Jamaica | Martinique | Montserrat | Netherlands Antilles
Puerto Rico
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
| U.S. Virgin Islands

 
 
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