Explore Aruba
Aruba with its capital Oranjestad is located in North America (Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea). It covers some 181 square kilometers (slightly larger than Washington, DC) with 115,120 citizens. Dutch, Spanish and English are the common languages used in Aruba (consider regional differences). Thiscountry has no land-based border with any other country.
Aruba is a Caribbean island 15 miles north of the coast of Venezuela. The island is an autonomous dependency of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This flat, riverless island 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°C (81°F). The southwest has the white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and warm waters. The northeast coast, exposed to the Atlantic, has a few white sand beaches, rough seas with treacherous currents, and a rocky coastline. The running water in Aruba is absolutely safe to drink; the island's desalination plant is the second largest in the world. Aruba is generally a very safe place at any time of day or night.
Popular Destinations in Aruba
Administrative regions of Aruba
About the country
The topography is flat with a few hills with scant vegetation. The average density of population is about 640 per km². The climate in Aruba can be described as tropical marine with little seasonal temperature variation. Potential natural disasters are hurricanes lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
To reach someone Aruba dial +297 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".aw". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B, F). The sign for the locally used currency Guilder is AWG.
Blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth.
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.
Geography
Area |
Total (World Rank: 215) |
180 | sq km |
Land (World Rank: 212) |
180 | sq km |
Comparative |
slightly larger than Washington, DC
| |
Coastline |
68.5 |
Elevation |
Highest point (World Rank: 213) |
188 | m |
Agricultural land |
Total (World Rank: 190) |
11.10 | % |
Arable (World Rank: 102) |
11.10 | % |
Map reference |
Central America and the Caribbean |
Environment |
Issues |
difficulty in properly disposing of waste produced by large numbers of tourists
| |
Hazzards |
- - hurricanes
- - lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
|
Location |
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
Climate |
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
Terrain |
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
People
Population |
Total (World Rank: 187) |
115,120 | |
Deathrate (World Rank: 80) |
0.84 | % |
Birthrate (World Rank: 156) |
1.24 | % |
Growthrate (World Rank: 88) |
1.27 | % |
Migration rate (World Rank: 12) |
0.87 | % |
Fertility rate (World Rank: 145) |
1.83 | % |
Median age |
Male (World Rank: 53) |
37.50 | |
Female
(World Rank: 51) |
41.10 | |
Age structure |
0 14 male
(World Rank: 195) |
10,189 | |
0 14 female (World Rank: 195) |
10,115 | |
15 24 male (World Rank: 193) |
7,405 | |
15 24 female (World Rank: 193) |
7,307 | |
25 54 male (World Rank: 188) |
23,117 | |
25 54 female (World Rank: 187) |
24,906 | |
55 64 male (World Rank: 183) |
7,664 | |
55 64 female (World Rank: 183) |
8,773 | |
65 x male (World Rank: 188) |
6,132 | |
65 x female (World Rank: 182) |
9,512 | |
Health |
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 128) |
1.07 | % |
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 79) |
77 | years |
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 76) |
80 | years |
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 81) |
74 | years |
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 49) |
97.70 | % |
Drinking water access (World Rank: 79) |
98.10 | % |
Energy
Electricity |
Production (World Rank: 151) |
959,000,000 | kWh |
Consumption (World Rank: 157) |
891,900,000 | kWh |
Source fossil (World Rank: 70) |
87.20 | % |
Source renew (World Rank: 56) |
12.80 | % |
Refined products |
Consumption (World Rank: 160) |
7,500 | bbl / day |
Import (World Rank: 147) |
7,661 | bbl / day |
Natural gas |
Production (World Rank: 100) |
1 | m³ |
Consumption (World Rank: 176) |
1 | m³ |
Export (World Rank: 56) |
1 | m³ |
Import (World Rank: 55) |
0 | m³ |
Carbon footprint |
900000 |
Nation
Budget |
Education (World Rank: 32) |
6 | % of GDP |
Surplus (World Rank: 132) |
-4 | % of GDP |
National symbol |
Hooiberg Hill |
National colours |
yellow |
Adjective |
Aruban; Dutch |
Noun |
Aruban(s) |
Background |
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. |
Flag description |
blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth |
Economy
Gdp |
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 189) |
2,516,000,000 | USD |
Real growth rate (World Rank: 117) |
2.40 | % |
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 74) |
25,300 | USD |
Source agriculture (World Rank: 210) |
0.40 | % |
Source industry (World Rank: 55) |
33.30 | % |
Source service (World Rank: 82) |
66.30 | % |
Labourforce |
Total (World Rank: 189) |
51,610 | |
Products |
Industries |
- - banking
- - petroleum transshipment facilities
- - tourism
|
Agriculture |
- - aloes
- - fish
- - livestock
|
Exports |
- - animal products
- - art
- - collectibles
- - electrical equipment
- - live animals
- - machinery
- - transport equipment
|
Imports |
- - chemicals
- - electrical equipment
- - foodstuffs
- - machinery
- - reexport
- - refined oil for bunkering
|
Communication
Phone |
Landline total (World Rank: 163) |
35,000 | |
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 62) |
31.00 | |
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 63) |
126.00 | |
Assessment |
0
| |
Internet |
Users (World Rank: 174) |
106,309 | |
Population (World Rank: 17) |
93.50 | % |
Transport
Air |
Airports paved (World Rank: 200) |
1.00 | |