Aruba

Aruba
Coat of arms of Aruba Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "One Happy Island"
Anthem: Aruba Dushi Tera
Capital	Oranjestad 12°19′N 70°1′W
Largest city	capital
Official languages	Dutch, Papiamento1
Government	Constitutional monarchy
- Monarch	Queen Beatrix
- Governor	Fredis Refunjol
- Prime Minister	Nelson O. Oduber
- Vice-Prime Minister	Marisol Lopez-Tromp
Independence	from Netherlands Antilles
- Date	1 January 1986
Area
- Total	193 km² 74.5 sq mi
- Water (%)	negligible
Population
- 2006 estimate	103,484
- Density	571/km² 1479/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 estimate
- Total	$3.079 billion
- Per capita	$23,299
Currency	Aruban florin (AWG2)
Time zone	AST (UTC-4)
Internet TLD	.aw
Calling code	+297

Aruba is a 32 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, 27 km north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela. It is in the Realm of Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of a European part (The Netherlands) and a Caribbean-American part (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles). Unlike much of the Caribbean-American region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm sunny weather. It has a land area of 193 km² and lies outside of the hurricane belt.

The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands. No full-blooded Aboriginals remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage.

Geography

Map of Aruba

A sunset in Aruba.

One of the lesser Antilles, specifically in the Leeward Antilles island arc, Aruba is a generally flat, river-less island renowned for its white, sandy 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 meters (541 ft) and Mount Jamanota, which is the highest on the island, at 188 meters (617 ft) above sea level. Oranjestad, the capital, is located at 12°19′N 70°1′W.

To 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. As a separate member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba has no administrative subdivision.

The local climate sits at 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 °C (82 °F), moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean. The yearly precipitation barely reaches 500 mm (20 in), with most of it falling in late autumn.

History

Europeans first learned of Aruba when Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda came across it in August 1499. Vespucci in one of his four letters to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici describes his voyage to the islands along the coast of Venezuela and describes an island where most trees are of brazilwood, and that from this island he went to one ten leagues of where they had houses built as in Venice. In another letter he describes an island inhabited by very large people, that as small as it was, first they thought was not inhabited.

In 1508 Alonso de Ojeda was appointed as Spain's first Governor of Aruba, as part of "Nueva Andalucia".

It remained a Spanish colony for over a century. The Cacique or Indian Chief in Aruba Simas welcomed the first priests in Aruba and received from them a wooden Cross as a gift .

Another known Governor appointed by Spain is the Factor Juan de Ampues.

A "cédula real" decreed in November 1525, gave Juan Martinez de Ampués, factor of Española, the right to repopulate the depopulated islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. The native under Spanish rule enjoyed a certain measure of liberty, his position being actually better than that of the North European farmer of the period.

Ampues was later replaced in 1528 by a representative of the "House of Welser"

Aruba has been under Dutch administration since 1647, initially under Peter Stuyvesant. Under the Dutch W.I.C. administration, as "New Netherlands and Curacao" from 1648-1664 and the Dutch government regulations of 1629, also applied in Aruba. The Dutch administration appointed an Irishman as "Commandeur" in Aruba in 1667.

Aruba was under British occupation from 1799-1802, and again from 1805-1816. General Francisco de Miranda and a group of 200 freedom fighters on their voyage to liberate Venezuela from Spain stayed for several weeks in Aruba in August 1806.

The island's economy has been dominated by four main industries: gold mining, aloe export, petroleum, and tourism.

During World War II Aruba became a British protectorate from 1940-1942 and a U.S. protectorate from 1942-1945.

On February 16, 1942, its oil processing refinery, which was at the time one of the largest in the region, was attacked by a German submarine (U-156) under the command of Werner Hartenstein. The mission failed miraculously. Aruba's Refinery was the main supplier of oil to the Allies at the time. The U-156 was later destroyed by a US plane as the crew was sunbathing, only one survived.

In March 1944: Eleanor Roosevelt paid a brief visit to the American troops stationed in Aruba during World War II. To be in attendance of Mrs. Roosevelt at Aruba were: His Excellency, Dr. P. Kasteel, the Governor of Curaçao, and his Aide, Lieutenant Ivan Lansberg; Rear Admiral T. E. Chandler and his Aide, Lieutenant W. L. Edgington; Captain Jhr. W. Boreel and his Aide, Lieutenant E. O. Holmberg; and the Netherlands Aide to Mrs. Roosevelt, Lieutenant Commander v.d. Schatte Olivier.

In August 1947, Aruba presented its first "Staatsreglement", for the status of a completely autonomous State within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, under the authority of the crown, which is defined the same as in Britain's Statute of Westminster, an equal status of the Dominion Parliaments with the British Parliament, establishing that the Dominions were under the authority of the Crown, and not the government of Britain.

In 1972, at a Conference in Surinam, Betico Croes (MEP) proposed a "sui-generis" Dutch Commonwealth of four states: Aruba, the Netherlands, Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles. Mr. C. Yarzagaray, a parliamentary member representing the AVP political party proposed a referendum to be held in Aruba for the people of Aruba to determine Aruba's separate status or "Status Aparte" as a completely autonomous state under the authority of the crown.

In 1976, preparing the people of Aruba to exercise Aruba's Self-determination Right and Independence, the National Flag and National Anthem were introduced by a special committee appointed by Betico Croes. The National Flag symbolized Aruba's "Status Aparte", obtaining hereby for Aruba the status of an autonomous state, with special ties with a Commonwealth of Nations.

In 1977, the first Referendum for Self Determination was held with the support of the United Nations.

In 1983, Aruba reached a final official agreement with the State of the Netherlands, the State of the Netherlands Antilles and the Island Governments, to become a Member State within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its own Constitution/Grondwet. Aruba's constitution and autonomy were unanimously approved and proclaimed in August 1985, and an election was held for the people to elect the State of Aruba's first national parliament and institute its first national government.

Aruba's gained independence from the Netherlands Antilles on January 1, 1986, as an autonomous, self-governing member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in preparation for its full independence in 1996. This last achievement is largely due to the diplomatic prowess of the late Betico Croes and his political support of other nations like the USA, Panama, Venezuela and various European Countries. Movement toward full independence by 1996 was postponed upon the request of Aruba's prime minister, Nelson O. Oduber, in 1990. It was decided to postpone Aruba's independence date until the people decide otherwise through a referendum. Betico Croes, after his death in 1986, was proclaimed as the Libertador di Aruba.

Politics

As a Constituent Country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Aruba's politics take place within a framework of a 21-member Parliament and an eight-member Cabinet. The governor general is appointed for a six-year term by the monarch, and the prime minister and deputy prime minister are elected by the Staten (or "Parlamento") for four-year terms. The Staten is made up of 21 members elected by direct, popular vote to serve a four-year term.

Together, the State of the Netherlands, the State of the Netherlands Antilles, and the State of Aruba form a Commonwealth. As they share the same Dutch citizenship, these three countries still also share the Dutch passport as the Kingdom of the Netherlands passport. Aruba does still recognize a local citizenship for Aruba, and does reserve some privileges and rights for Arubans.

Law

On Aruba legal jurisdiction lies with a Court of First Instance, a Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Netherlands.

Economy

GRIFFIN - Look at Wikipedia's article titled Economy of Aruba to see if there is good information you can copy over. Aruba enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region, the lowest crime rate, with low poverty and unemployment rates. About half of the Aruban Gross National Product is earned through tourism or related activities. Most of the tourists are from Canada, the European Union and the United States, which is the country's largest trading partner. Before the Status Aparte (Secession from the Neth. Antilles) oil processing was the dominant industry in Aruba, despite expansion of the tourism sector. Today, the influence of the oil processing business is minimal. The size of the agriculture and manufacturing industries remains minimal.

The G.D.P. per capita for Aruba is calculated to be around $23.600,00 ; one of the highest in the American Continent.

Deficit spending has been a staple in Aruba's history, and modestly high inflation has been present as well, although recent efforts at tightening monetary policy may correct this. Aruba receives some development aid from the Dutch government each year, which will stop in 2009 as part of a deal where each year the Netherlands will lower their financial help to the island. The Aruban florin is pegged to the United States dollar with a fixed exchange rate where 1.79 florin equals 1 U.S. dollar.

In 2006 the Aruban government has also changed several tax laws in order to further reduce the deficit. Direct taxes have been converted to indirect taxes as proposed by the IMF. The inflation for 2006 has been calculated to 2.5%.

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The economy of Aruba is an open system, with tourism currently providing the largest percentage of the country's income. Because of tourism's rapid growth in the last ten years, related industries like construction have also flourished. Other primary industries include oil refining and storage, as well as offshore banking. Although the island's poor soil and low rainfall limit its agricultural prospects, aloe cultivation, livestock, and fishing contribute to Aruba's economy. In addition, the country also exports art and collectibles, machinery, electrical equipment, and transport equipment. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.

With such a large part of its economy dependent on tourism, the Aruban government is striving to increase business in other sectors to protect against possible industry slumps. Their current focus is on expanding technology, finance, and communications.

Demographics

Population of Aruba according to the FAO in 2005; number of inhabitants given in thousands.

Aruba is situated in the deep southern part of the Caribbean. Because of almost no rainfall, Aruba was saved from plantation and the economics of the slave trade.

In 1515, the first Spanish Governor of this region, Alonso de Ojeda, had the entire population transported to Hispaniola where they all had to learn the fifteenth century vulgar "Spanish" spoken there and worked in the copper mines; most were allowed to return when the mines were tapped out.

The Dutch, who took control almost two centuries later, left the Arawaks, who spoke the "broken Spanish" their ancestors had learned in Hispaniola, to farm and graze livestock, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands. No full-blooded Aboriginals remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended mostly from Arawak, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, British, African and a few French ancestors.

Recently there has been another substantial immigration to the island from neighboring American and Caribbean nations, attracted by the lure of well-paying jobs.

Culture

Baby Beach, Aruba

On March 18 Aruba celebrates its National Day. In 1976, Aruba presented its National Anthem (Aruba Dushi Tera) and Flag.

The origins of the population and location of the island gives Aruba a mixed culture. Dutch influence can still be seen, as in the celebration of the "Sinterklaas" Day on December 5 and 6 and other national Holidays like April 30, when Aruba and the Dutch Kingdom celebrates the Queen's birthday or "Dia di Reina" (Koninginnedag).

Christmas and New Year's are celebrated with the typical music and songs of gaitas for Christmas and the dande for New Year's. The "ayaca", the "ponchi crema" and ham along with other typical foods and drinks are eaten with joy on these days. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of fireworks are set off at midnight on New Year's.

Tourism from the United States has recently also increased the visibility of American culture on the island, with such celebrations as Halloween and Thanksgiving Day in November.

In June the celebration of the "Dia di San Juan" (St. John's Day), with the song of "Dera Gay" and bright vivid colors of carnival cover the island.

The holiday of Carnival is also an important one in Aruba, as it is in many Caribbean and Latin American countries, and is related to Mardi Gras, celebrated in New Orleans. Its celebration in Aruba started during World War II, around the 1940s, either influenced by the American Troops from New Orleans stationed in Aruba, and/or the Refinery workers brought to Aruba from Trinidad. Over the years the Carnival Celebration has changed and now starts from the beginning of January till the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday with a large parade on the last Sunday of the festivities (Sunday before Ash Wednesday).

According to the Bureau Burgelijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister (BBSB), as of 2005 there are ninety-two different nationalities living on the island.

Aruba's Queen Beatrix International Airport is located near Oranjestad, the capital. This airport has daily flights to various cities across the United States; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; New York City, New York and Boston, Massachusetts; as well as San Juan and Puerto Rico. It also connects Aruba with Canada and South America, with daily flights to the international airports of Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Spain, England and most of Europe through the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

According to the Aruba Airport Authority, in 2005 almost 1.7 millions travelers used the airport, 61% of which were American citizens.

Language

Language can be seen as an important part of island culture in Aruba. The cultural mixture has given rise to a linguistic mixture known as Papiamento, the predominant language on Aruba. The two official languages are the Dutch language and Papiamento. Papiamento is a language that has been evolving through the centuries and absorbed many words from other languages like Spanish, Dutch, English, African dialects, and Portuguese. However, like many islands in the region, Spanish is also often spoken. The English language has historical connections (with the British Empire) and is known by many, the usage has also grown due to tourism. Other common languages spoken are Portuguese, Chinese, German and French depending on the size of the individual communities. The latter is offered in high school and college, since a high percentage of Aruban students continue their studies in Europe.

In recent years, the government of Aruba has shown an increased interest in acknowledging the cultural and historical importance of its native language. Although spoken Papiamento is fairly similar among the several Papiamento speaking islands, there is a big difference in written Papiamento. The orthography differs from island to island and even from groups of people on the same island in some cases. Some are more oriented towards the Portuguese roots and use the equivalent spelling (i.e. "y" instead of "j"), where others are more oriented towards the Dutch roots.

In the book The Buccaneers of America originally published in 1678, it reads that by eyewitness account the Indians on Aruba spoke Spanish. The oldest government official statement written in Papiamento, dates from 1803.

Aruba has four newspapers published in Papiamento: Diario, Bon Dia, Solo di Pueblo and Awe Mainta and two in English : Aruba Today and The News. Aruba also has 18 Radio Stations (2 AM and 16 FM) and three TV stations.

Places of interest

Alto Vista Chapel Arikok National Park Ayo and Casibari Rock Formations Bushiribana and Balashi California Lighthouse Frenchman's Pass

Hooiberg Lourdes Grotto Natural Bridge* Natural Pool Palm Beach

Eagle Beach Arashi Caves Baby Beach, Aruba Aruba Aloe Factory

 * Collapsed September 2, 2005

See also

• Communications in Aruba
• Divi-divi
• Foreign relations of Aruba
• Military of Aruba
• Scouting Aruba
• Transportation in Aruba

External links

• Central Bank of Aruba
• Aruba Ports Authority
• Aruba Airport Authority
• Aruba Health Insurance (AZV)
• Aruba.com - Governmental Tourism Portal
• University of Aruba
• Arubaplaza.com - Many details on Aruba
• CIA World Factbook entry on Aruba
• Aruba Paper Money

Credits

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• Aruba  ^history
• Economy_of_Aruba  ^history

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• History of "Aruba"

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