Language: Dutch, Papiamento
Currency: Aruban florin (AWG)
Calling Code: 297
Aruba is an island autonomous country of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands - together with Curaçao, Sint Maarten and
the Netherlands. It is established on the homonymous island of the
Sotavento group, belonging to the Lesser Antilles. The autonomous
country is located 25 km north of the Paraguaná peninsula, northwest
of Venezuela, south of the Caribbean Sea, east of the archipelago of
Los Monjes and the peninsula of Guajira and west of another Dutch
autonomous country, Curaçao .
Until 1986, it was part of the
Netherlands Antilles (dissolved in 2010) and is not currently part
of the European Union, similar to other territories of European
sovereignty that share this status, such as Greenland (Denmark),
French Polynesia (France) and Islands. Cayman (United Kingdom).
However, there are other territories outside Europe of sovereignty
of countries of the European Union, which are an integral part of
this, such as French Guiana in South America. Despite this, all
citizens of Aruba have a Dutch passport, and therefore Arubanians
enjoy the same rights as citizens of the European Union.
Oranjestad Dutch colorful architecture in combination of a lush tropical Caribbean forests makes Oranjestad one of the most beautiful cities in Aruba and the whole Caribbean basin.
Aruba, the westernmost of the Lesser Antilles, is
located in the southern Caribbean Sea at a distance of 29 km from the
Paraguana Peninsula in Venezuela and 68 km west of the island of
Curaçao. The area of Aruba is 180 km², the length of the island is
about 30 km and the width is 8 km. It has maritime borders with
Venezuela in the south and the Netherlands Antilles in the east. The
highest points of the island are Yamanota (188 m) and Oyberg (165 m).
Geology
The origin of Aruba is associated with volcanic activity
90-95 million years ago. The island is composed of lava, quartz and
limestone rocks. The most common lava rocks of the island are diabase,
volcanic tuff, conglomerate and shale. Solid black rocks are composed of
diabase, which are many in Aruba. The tuff is composed of compressed ash
and ash and speaks of strong volcanic activity in the past. As a result
of this activity, conglomerates were also formed from sedimentary rocks.
As a result of pressure or temperature conditions, part of the rocks was
transformed into shale.
The rocks aged 85–90 Ma belong to the
period of plutonism. After the end of volcanism, molten rocks flowed out
from under the earth's crust, but did not reach the surface. These rocks
differed in structure from the rocks of volcanism. Most of Aruba is made
up of such rocks (called a batholith) that solidified within lava
formations and formed a large magma body. The most common batholith rock
is quartzdiorite, which can be found both in the form of small rubble
and large stones in places such as Ayo and Kashibari. Oiberg is composed
of coarse granular quartzdiorite, which is called oibergite. Another
type of batholith is gabbro (black coarse-grained, mainly in Bushiriban
and Matividiri).
The island's youngest rocks are limestones,
which were formed in conditions similar to today's coral reefs, as
evidenced by plant and animal fossils similar to today's coral reef
flora and fauna.
Climate
The climate of Aruba is dry tropical.
The average annual temperature is +28 °C and varies little depending on
the season. The daily temperature amplitude also does not exceed 4 °C.
The average annual rainfall is only 432 mm, most of it falls in October
and November, mostly short-term showers. Aruba is located south of the
main route of hurricanes, so they rarely damage the economy of the
island.
National parks
Arikok National Park occupies 18% of
the island's area, including a significant part of Aruba's interior and
a long stretch of the northern coast. On the territory of the park there
is the Yamanota Hill - the highest point of the island, as well as
Arikok Hill. Among the historical monuments of Aruba in the park are the
petroglyphs in Fontaine Cave, the remains of the Dutch rural settlements
in Masiduri, colonial houses in Prince Valley and the ruins of a gold
mine in Miralamar. The vegetation of the park includes divi-divi trees,
various types of cacti, aloe, tropical flowers. The fauna of Arikok is
represented by rabbits, lizards and rattlesnakes.
Flora and fauna
Despite the low rainfall, the flora of the island is quite rich. The
most common plant growing in Aruba is the divi divi. Cacti are also very
common. Aloe vera still grows in abundance on the island, but not in the
quantities that were at the beginning of the 20th century. Plumeria,
hibiscus, bougainvillea, royal dellonyx, oleander, coconut palm, papaya,
mango, lemon, almond and other plants grow along the southern coast.
There are no large animals in Aruba, but there are 8 species of
lizards - 3 species of teiidae (Teiidae) and 5 species of geckos
(Gekkonidae), two species of snakes - cascavella, or a terrible
rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) and the Aruban cat-eyed snake
(Leptodeira bakeri), in coastal hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricata) is found in the waters. Dozens of bird species visit the
island during their migration between North and South America (terns,
herons, pelicans, gulls, cormorants are common). Sea bass, parrot fish,
sea angel, eel, manta rays, lobsters live in coastal waters.
Name
There are various theories about the origin of
the name of the island. It is most likely that the word "Aruba" comes
from the Native American words "ora" ("shell") and "oubao" ("island"),
which in combination can mean "island of shells". Another possible
combination is "uru" ("canoe") and "oubao" ("island"), which may mean
that the Indians used canoes to travel by sea and thus settled Aruba.
According to another theory, the name may come from the Spanish "oro
hubo" ("there was gold"), associated with the search for gold by Spanish
sailors in the Caribbean region.
The first indication of the
island on the map dates back to 1562, where it is listed as "Orua". On
other maps of the 16th-17th centuries, the names of the island "Oruba",
"Ouraba", "Uruba" and "Arouba" are found.
Нatives
Very little
is known about the earliest inhabitants of Aruba. Excavations show that
the island was inhabited long before its discovery by Spanish
navigators, the earliest inhabitants lived around 2500 BC. The
population of the island was made up of Indians from the Arawak tribe.
They were fishermen, hunters and gatherers, using primitive tools made
of stone and shells. Archaeological studies (rock paintings, burials)
show that the culture of the Indians of Aruba was similar to the culture
of South America.
Finds dating back to around 900 BC, show that
the Indians of Aruba made clay pots by hand and crushed salt into them.
At that time they had family settlements, they used stone tools. Jewelry
made from pieces of shells was also found. The Indians of Aruba painted
rock paintings, mainly in caves (Fontein, Gwadarikiri, etc.), in the
form of geometric figures, inside which people or animals are depicted.
The caves were not dwellings for them, so presumably they served as
sanctuaries.
In the 14th century, Aruba was conquered by the
Caribs.
Island colonization
The Dutch Leeward Islands were
discovered by the Spaniards in 1499. Historians have not come to a
common conclusion who is their discoverer - Alonso de Ojeda or Amerigo
Vespucci. Judging by the drawings and maps, Ojeda was on the islands of
Curaçao and Bonaire, but not on Aruba. Perhaps the island of Aruba was
discovered a few years later in one of the reconnaissance expeditions.
The Spaniards called the islands "Islands of the Giants" (Spanish:
Islas de los Gigantes), as the local population was taller than them.
Another name for the Leeward Islands was "useless islands" (Spanish
islas inutiles), because no gold and silver were found on them, and
later they turned out to be unsuitable for agriculture. From the word
"inutiles" the modern name "Antiles" may have come.
In 1513, the
Spaniards deported the entire population of Aruba (as well as other
Leeward Islands) to work in the copper mines in Santo Domingo, where
they all died from various diseases as a result of heavy exploitation.
The island remained uninhabited, but soon settlers from the mainland of
the continent arrived there, and then the Spaniards. The Spaniards
organized a kind of "ranch" on the island, where horses, donkeys, cows,
pigs, sheep and goats roamed freely in one large rural district. The
Indians worked for them as servants and overseers of cattle.
In
1634, the Dutch conquered the island of Curaçao to use as a base of
operations against the Spanish fleet in the Eighty Years' War. In 1636,
the Dutch also occupied Aruba and Bonaire to avoid Spanish attacks from
those islands. The Dutch West India Company (VIC) began to develop the
Leeward Islands as agricultural colonies. In particular, in Aruba, they
began to breed horses and goats. The number of goats on the island
increased to a large level, and Aruba was also called "the island of
goats" (Dutch geiteneiland). The so-called "Brazilwood" (Dutch.
Brazielhout) was also mined, which was exported to Amsterdam as the main
component for red paint.
Aruba was ruled by a commander who was
assisted by several white men. The island was inhabited only by Indians
who looked after the cattle and cut down trees for sale. They were able
to live relatively freely, as the WIC prohibited the building of
settlements for non-Indians. An exception was made for the soldiers of
the VIC and their servants, who had a small settlement in Savanet. The
Indians lived in the northeastern part of the island between Alto Vista
(where the first Catholic church for the Indians was built) and Gray
Christel and Hushidibana. In 1806, there were 60 whites for every 141
Indian families. Black slaves began to be brought to the island in
limited numbers only after 1770.
Aruba was also affected by numerous wars between the
Dutch and the British. Aruba was occupied by the British in 1799-1802
and in 1806-1816, then the Dutch again regained these lands. According
to the 1816 census, 564 of the 1732 inhabitants of Aruba were Indians,
the majority of the inhabitants were Catholics. The actual colonization
of the island began only at the end of the 18th century, when the Bay of
Horses (Dutch. Paardenbaai) in Oranjestad was used as a transit point
between Curaçao and the mainland of Venezuela.
In 1824, gold was
accidentally discovered in Rooi-Fluit by the boy Willem Rasmijn, after
which the island was visited by the governor of the Kantzlaar colony,
and gold mining was started, which stopped during the First World War.
In 1845, the colony of Curacao was formed, which included the
islands of Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint
Maarten (the Dutch part of St. Martin's Island). In 1863, slavery was
abolished and 496 slaves in Aruba became free.
In the middle of
the 19th century, under commander Jan Helenus Ferguson (1866-1871), aloe
began to be grown in Aruba, and Aruba became one of the main suppliers
of aloin rubber, which was exported mainly to New York, Hamburg and
London. Rubber from the Antilles, 90% of which was produced in Aruba,
was called "Curaçao rubber" at that time. It belonged to the highest
quality and most expensive in the world and became the main source of
income for Aruba before the development of the oil refining industry.
In 1874 Waters Gravenhorst discovered phosphate deposits on the
island. In 1879, the Aruba Phosphaat Maatschappij (APM) company was
established to mine them, bringing in workers from Curaçao and Bonaire,
as well as a group of Italian workers. Phosphate mining led to the
development of the Sint-Nicolas settlement. APM worked until 1914, when
the reserves of all deposits on the island were exhausted, and the
company was closed.
Newest time
In the 1920s, the oil era
began on the island, thanks to which the island's economy was
significantly strengthened. In 1924, the island began to be used for the
further transportation of Venezuelan oil, then the Lago and Arend
Petroleum Maatschappij refineries (Eagle Oil Company, better known by
the English name Eagle) were built on the island.
During World
War II, Aruba played a very important role for the Allies, as one of the
largest oil refineries of that period was located here. The fuel
produced at the Lago was used by the Allied air forces, because of which
the American ships near the island were subjected to torpedo attacks by
the Germans. In 1939, a defensive line was organized on the highest
point of the eastern part of the island, Juana Morto, to protect against
air attacks.
In those years, Aruba was often visited by German
ships. However, when Germany attacked the Netherlands, only one German
ship, the Antilla, was anchored off the coast of Aruba, which was
surrounded by troops, and its captain set fire to the ship after the
crew boarded the boats. The crew of the "Antilla" was taken prisoner,
and later sent to the island of Bonaire, along with those Germans who
were on the island. On May 10, 1940, 180 French soldiers landed on the
island to help in the defense of Aruba, in July 1940 they were replaced
by British and Scottish troops. At the end of 1943, when the United
States entered the war, American soldiers arrived on the island, heavy
bombers began to arrive, for which the Dakota Airport had to be
reconstructed.
On February 16, 1942, at night, Aruba was
subjected to a large-scale attack by the German submarine U-156, which
sank several ships and then attacked the Lago. Only the mistake of the
German crew saved the plant from complete destruction, as the torpedo
did not reach the target and the plant was fired upon by small cannons.
The next day, a torpedo that did not reach its target was found on the
beach, and four Dutch soldiers died while trying to neutralize it. In
1944, several ships near the island were again torpedoed by the Germans.
In 1947, Hennie (Jan Hendrik Albert) Eman organized a petition to
the Netherlands with the signatures of 2147 residents of Aruba with the
intention to secede from the colony of Curaçao. In 1948, a conference
was held in The Hague on this issue, which considered it possible to
grant the independence of Aruba, which was represented at the conference
by Sean A (Cornelis Albert) Eman (son of Henny Eman). However, these
recommendations have not been implemented.
In 1953, the Eagle
refinery ceased operations on the island. In 1954, five islands (Aruba,
Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Saba) became self-governing within
the Netherlands Antilles.
In 1973, the island held a referendum, in which the
majority of the population preferred that the country receive
independence status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, proposed by
the MEP party, led by Betico (Gilberto F.) Cruz. In January 1976, when
the Dutch government rejected Aruba's status, Betico Cruz threatened
that Aruba would unilaterally declare independence in March 1981. On
March 18, 1976, to strengthen national self-consciousness, the national
flag and anthem were adopted, and B. Cruz was called “the liberator of
Aruba” until his death. In 1977, 82% of the inhabitants of Aruba voted
for independence in a referendum.
In 1981, during another
conference in the Netherlands, it was decided that Aruba would gain
independence in January 1996, after a ten-year transitional period
starting on January 1, 1986, when Aruba became independent from the
Netherlands Antilles.
The first prime minister of Aruba under
this status was Henny Eman (grandson of Henny Eman, who fought for the
independence of Aruba), who immediately faced the closure of the Lago
oil refinery, in connection with which unemployment in the country
reached 20%. With the financial assistance of the Netherlands, he was
able to diversify the economy by developing a tourist destination. 10
thousand new jobs were created, new hotels were built. In the late
1980s, the Central Bank of Aruba was created, its own currency was
introduced, and the University of Aruba was founded. In 1990, a new oil
company (Coastal Aruba Refinery Company) resumed work at the Lago plant.
Despite best efforts in the past decades, Aruba never achieved full
independence in the end, setting one of the few precedents in the world
where a country has abandoned it. The previously agreed intention to
declare the independence of Aruba on January 1, 1996 was canceled by the
Netherlands in 1990 at the request of the government of Aruba, where by
that time opponents of secession from the Netherlands had prevailed. In
1989, Nelson Orlando Oduber was elected prime minister of Aruba, in 1994
- again Henny Eman, then in 2001 Oduber returned to the prime minister's
chair.
Constitution
The Constitution of Aruba was adopted
on August 9, 1985 (announced on August 19 in Dutch) by all political
parties represented at that time in Parliament. According to it, Aruba
became an autonomous member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
which consisted of three members: the Netherlands proper, Aruba and the
Netherlands Antilles. The competence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
is defined by a framework constitution - the Charter of the Kingdom of
the Netherlands.
After October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles
were liquidated, while under the terms of the agreement between the
Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles, Bonaire, Saba and St.
Eustatius became autonomous territories of the Netherlands, and Curaçao
and St. Maarten received the same status as Aruba (self-governing states
with significant autonomy status aparte within the Kingdom of the
Netherlands). The Dutch government took over the defense and foreign
policy of these state entities.
executive branch
The head of
Aruba is the King of the Netherlands, who is represented on the island
by a governor. The Governor is appointed by the King on the
recommendation of the Council of Ministers of Aruba. The term of office
of the governor is 6 years. The executive power is represented by the
Council of Ministers, which consists of 7 members and is accountable to
Parliament. The head of the Council of Ministers is the Prime Minister.
Legislature
The Parliament of Aruba consists of 21 deputies who
are elected every 4 years on the basis of a multi-party system.
Judicial branch
All judges of the courts of first instance (Dutch.
Gerecht in Eerste Aanleg) are appointed by the King of the Netherlands
for life and are required to undergo a special 6-year training in order
to be appointed.
There is one judge of the Court of First
Instance of Aruba present at the trial. All appeals are considered by
troikas of judges of the Court of Appeal of the Netherlands Antilles and
Aruba (Dutch. Gemeenschappelijk Hof van Justitie voor de Nederlandse
Antillen en Aruba). Further appeals are pending before the Dutch Supreme
Court (Dutch. Hoge Raad der Nederlanden) in The Hague. The decisions of
the Supreme Court are not binding, but the lower courts try to adhere to
them.
Administrative division
Aruba does not have
administrative-territorial units. The country is divided into 8 census
regions (Noord/Tanki-Leendert, Oranjestad East, Oranjestad West,
Paradera, Sint-Nicholas North, Sint-Nicholas South, Santa Cruz,
Savaneta). However, they do not carry any administrative functions and
are used only for the convenience of the population census.
Political parties
The first political parties in Aruba appeared
during the Second World War, when self-government began to develop on
the island. The very first party is the People's Party of Aruba, which
for a long time was part of the Democratic Party of Curaçao. Another
oldest party is the Patriotic Party of Aruba, which in 1944-1969 was the
leading political force in the Netherlands Antilles. In 1971, the
Popular Electoral Movement was created, which fought for the separation
of Aruba from the Netherlands Antilles and further for full
independence. In 1981, it withdrew from the Netherlands Antilles, then
negotiations were held, as a result of which an agreement was concluded
between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in 1983,
according to which Aruba received a special status.
There are
currently a number of political parties active in the country, eight of
which took part in the 2009 elections:
Aruba People's Party
(Arubaanse Volks Partij, AVP) - 12 seats in parliament,
Popular
Electoral Movement (Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo, MEP) - 8 seats,
Real Democracy (Democracia Real, DR) - 1st place (Member of the
Caribbean Democratic Union),
Patriotic Movement of Aruba (Movimiento
Patriotico Arubano, MPA),
Electoral Democracy Network (Red Electoral
Democratico, RED),
Patriotic Party of Aruba (Partido Patriotico
Arubano, PPA),
United Christians for Strengthening the Potential of
Aruba (Cristiannan Uni Reforzando Potencial di Aruba),
Independent
Social Movement / Liberal Organization of Aruba (Movimento Social
Independiente / Organisacion Liberal Arubiano)
Armed forces
Aruba does not have its own regular armed forces. The defense of Aruba
is the responsibility of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands Antilles
and Aruba, there is a Dutch military contingent of more than a thousand
people. The number of men aged 16 to 49 who are eligible for military
service is 16,278 (2005 estimates). There is also a local Arubaanse
Militie (ARUMIL) force unit in the amount of approximately one platoon.
Foreign policy
Foreign policy of Aruba is the responsibility of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Department of
External Affairs of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
Aruba is
a member of the Caribbean Community (as an observer), ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, ITUC, UNESCO (associate member), UNWTO (associate
member), UPU, WMO.
Demography
The population of Aruba consisted of a
motley combination of immigrants from Venezuela of Spanish and Indian
origin, visiting Dutch and small representatives of other nationalities
(Italians, Jews and others). The total population (2020) is 119,428
people, the population density is 663.48 people/km². Most of the
population is made up of ethnic Arubans, close in origin to Venezuelans,
and descended from Indians, Europeans and a small number of blacks.
Among European nationalities (except Spaniards) are the Dutch and the
Portuguese. Asians are represented by Syro-Lebanese, Chinese,
Indonesians and Filipinos, as well as a small number of Jews. The island
is also inhabited by people from other islands in the Caribbean, South
America (especially Venezuela) and Europe. Emigration is small and is
represented mainly by non-ethnic Arubans.
Almost half of the
population lives in cities - 43.7%, in rural areas - 56.3%. In the
sexual section, there is a predominance of women over men (52.28% and
47.72%, respectively). The age group under 14 years old includes 17.55%
of the country's population, 15-24 years old - 12.06%, 25-54 years old -
40.54%, 55-64 years old - 14.79%, over 65 years old - 15, 05%. Life
expectancy (2020) is 74.4 years for men and 80.7 for women.
The
birth rate is 12.1 per 1000 population, the death rate is 8.7 (2020).
The natural increase is 7.5 per 1000 population. The number of marriages
and divorces per 1000 population (2005) is 5.76 and 4.4 respectively.
Religion
80.8% of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic
Church, about 7.8% are Protestants. Among the remaining 11.4% there are
adherents of Hinduism, Islam, Confucianism and Judaism.
The very
first Catholic church built in Aruba and throughout the Caribbean is the
church in Alto Vista, built by the Spanish missionary Domingo Antonio
Silvestre in 1750. Then the church was closed in 1816, destroyed, and
rebuilt again in 1952. The second key religious building on the island
is the Church of St. Anne.
Languages
The official languages
are Dutch and Papiamento (a creole mixture of Spanish and Portuguese).
The most widely spoken language is Papiamento, which is spoken by 66.3%
of the population, as well as English, Spanish and Dutch.
The
first mention of the widespread use of papiamento in Aruba is found in
official documents from Curaçao. From the middle of the 19th century,
papiamento became widespread when writing psalters in churches and
school textbooks. In 1871, the first newspaper in this language was
published under the name Civilisado. Papiamento at that time could also
become the language of instruction, but the Dutch leadership decided
that all education should be conducted only in Dutch. Thus, despite the
fact that Papiamento has been the native language of the Arubans for 300
years, the status of an official language was only granted to it on
March 19, 2003.
According to 2005 estimates, the country's gross
domestic product (GDP) (purchasing power parity) was $2.258 billion, or
$21,800 per capita. According to 2002 data, the service sector is the
main component of GDP (66.3%), followed by industry (33.3%) and
agriculture (0.4%). The working-age population of Aruba is estimated at
41,500. The unemployment rate is 6.9% (2005).
The main sectors of
the national economy of Aruba are tourism, banking, oil refining and
storage. The great leap in tourism development over the past decades has
been associated with the constant development of related services and
infrastructure. The development of banking services is associated with
the offshore policy of the government, as a result of which offshore
banks are registered and operate on the island en masse, turning Aruba
into one of the offshore financial centers. The Central Bank of Aruba is
part of the International Financial Centers Supervisory Group.
Construction is also developing - the number of beds in hotels is 5
times higher than in 1985. The oil industry was restored in 1993.
Tourism
The decision to develop the tourism industry was made
during the crisis associated with the closure of the oil refinery in
1985. In that year, about 2,000 tourists visited the country, in 1996
there were already 7,103. Currently, the country is visited annually by
1.5 million tourists, 75% of which are from the United States, the
number of hotel rooms exceeds 5 times the level of 1985, with At the
same time, the construction of tourism infrastructure continues.
The main attractions for tourists in Aruba are diving, windsurfing and
underwater excursions to coral reefs, during which you can see all the
exotic inhabitants of the Caribbean.
The best beaches in Aruba
are Arashi, Druif and Hadikurari. Druif is considered the cleanest
recreation area on the entire Caribbean coast. Also, tourists have
chosen Baby Beach. In total, there are more than 40 beaches in Aruba.
The island's recreation areas are famous for their sand, which does
not burn their feet even in the hottest weather, and pink flamingos that
love to roam near the water right on the beach.
Local festivals
are considered to be the highlight of touristic holidays.
The
cuisine in Aruba is European, but it has been transformed into local
food. Therefore, very often an unusual sauce can be served with a famous
dish.
Agriculture
The rocky terrain of the island, poor soil
and dry tropical climate combined to create unfavorable conditions for
the development of agriculture. In the 18th century, the island was used
as a ranch, but this also proved unprofitable. Only 7% of the land is
used for agricultural land in Aruba, 0.6% of the labor force is involved
in agriculture.
The main agricultural product is aloe. Its
cultivation on the island began in the 19th century. Aruban aloe is
known for its high content of aloin (22% versus 15% of the world
average). With the opening of the oil refining industry on the island,
aloe production faded into the background and was again restored after
World War II - in 1949, Casey Eman founded the first aloe factory on the
island called Aruba Aloe Products Company, thanks to which, already in
1951, Aruba produced 30% of the world's aloe volume.
Transport
and communications
There are no railways on the island. The length of
motor roads (1995) is 800 km, of which 64% are paved. Number of cars
49,521, trucks and buses 1207 (2005).
In February 2013, a tram
line was opened in Oranjestad, connecting the city center with the
maritime station. The tram is completely powered by solar energy.
Queen Beatrix International Airport is located next to Oranjestad
and receives daily flights from various cities in the United States
(Miami, Chicago, Washington, New York, Boston), Puerto Rico (San Juan),
Canada and South America and other countries. According to airport data,
1.7 million passengers used the airport in 2005, of which 61% were from
the United States.
There are 397 fixed telephones per 1,000
inhabitants of Aruba (2002, 37 thousand in total), 1,002 cell phones
(2006, 105.7 thousand in total), 218 television sets (2001, 20 thousand
in total), 257 Internet users (2002, total 24 thousand).
Foreign
economic relations
Imports (2005) US$4,253 million: crude oil
(77.6%), electrical and non-electrical machinery (4.1%), foodstuffs
(2.3%). Main import directions: USA (60.4%), Netherlands (11.7%),
Venezuela (2.8%), Netherlands Antilles (2.8%).
Export (2005)
US$4,374 million: refined oil (99.4%), other (0.6%). Main export
destinations: USA (48.5%), Netherlands Antilles (21.3%), Netherlands
(15.4%), Venezuela (4.1%).
Currency
Aruba's currency is the florin (sign:
Afl.; code: AWG), which was introduced in 1986, replacing the
Netherlands Antillean guilder. The currency was pegged to the US dollar
at the rate adopted from the guilder - 1.79 florins to 1 US dollar. In
1986, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents,
1 and 2½ florins, banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100
florins. In 2005, the 5 florin note was replaced by coins, and the 2½
florin coin ceased to be issued. All coins are made of nickel-plated
steel, with the exception of 5 florins, which are minted from an alloy
of copper and other metals.
Social sphere
Education
Aruba's
education system has borrowed much from the Dutch system and provides
education at all levels. The government finances the entire national
education system, with the exception of private schools. Primary
education covers children aged 6 to 12. In total, there are 37 primary
schools in the country with 9,806 students (2004-2005).
Secondary
schools on the island provide great opportunities for preparation for
further education for children from 12 to 17 years old, including
technical education, pre-university training, economic education, etc.
7067 students study in 12 schools (2004-2005).
Higher education
is represented by the University of Aruba and the Teacher Training
College. The University of Aruba trains specialists at three faculties:
law, financial and economic sciences, hospitality and tourism
management. Due to the fact that the choice of specialties in Aruba is
limited, many students study at universities in Europe, North and South
America.
healthcare
The island has the Aruba Department of
Health, which provides the prevention and treatment of various diseases,
as well as the Public Health Laboratory, which is equipped with
diagnostic equipment, the necessary tools and qualified staff.
The country has 144 doctors (1 per 699 inhabitants) and 310 beds (1 per
330 inhabitants) (2005). The largest hospital is the 280-bed Horatio
Oduber Hospital, founded in 1976, which provides medical services in
more than 20 areas.
Culture and art
Literature
Basically,
such areas of literature as poetry and literature for children have been
developed. In the 1980s, novels, plays and poetry by Aruba writers were
printed by the Charuba publishing house. At present, few quality works
are printed, most authors publish their work themselves. Attempts were
made to recreate the Charuba publishing house, but they were
unsuccessful.
art
The landscapes of Aruba have been a source
of inspiration for many professional artists. The portrait as a type of
painting in Aruba is not widely used. The popularity of sculpture and
three-dimensional graphics is growing. Most graphic studios have emerged
from the economic growth since 1988. Most artists work by profession as
commercial designers. Among the most famous artists are Vanessa Paulina,
Osaira Muyale, Elvis Lopez, Gustav Nuel, Stan Kuyperi and others.
performing arts
There are several theater groups operating in
Aruba, the oldest and most popular of which is Mascaruba. The Cas di
Cultura theater is also located in Oranjestad. Local cultural and
artistic projects (mainly theatrical) are being developed by the Arte
pro Arte Foundation (FARPA, "Art for Art's sake"). The Aruba Dance
Foundation organizes international festivals and workshops. Several
dance and ballet schools work to train young people. Twice a year, the
island hosts an international dance and theater festival.
Museums
The cultural heritage of Aruba can be found in the historical,
archaeological and numismatic museums:
The Aruba Historical
Museum was founded in 1983 by the Aruba Cultural Center (Dutch.
Cultureel Centrum van Aruba) and is located in the restored Willem III
Tower. In the museum you can get acquainted with the history of the
island when it was ruled by the Spaniards and then by the Dutch.
The Archaeological Museum of Aruba is located in the building of the
Institute of Culture in Oranjestad and contains artifacts describing the
history of the island before the arrival of Europeans - ceramic and
stone products, ornaments, fragments of graves, etc.
The
Numismatic Museum of Aruba was established in 1981 and contains the
private collection of Mario Odora, which includes about 40,000 coins
from 400 countries.
Holidays
January 1 New Year
January 25
Betico Cruz Day
February 4 Carnival
March 18 National Anthem and
Flag Day
March 21 Good Friday
March 24 Bright Monday
April 30
Queen's Birthday
May 1 Labor Day
May 1 Ascension of the Lord
December 25 Christmas
Local cuisine is an amazing mixture of various
European traditions, “mixed” with local flavor. There are almost no
original Indian dishes left here, because the cuisine on such an island
so poor in natural resources was built on the almost complete use of
local products, which for most Europeans are simply inedible. .
Currently, numerous restaurants with Aruba cuisine are built on the
principle of maximizing the use of seafood, the waters of the Caribbean
Sea are rich in marine life. Shrimps and lobsters, lobsters and deep-sea
fish, various shells and algae are the basis of local recipes. At the
same time, all this is richly seasoned with vegetable oil, herbs and
vegetables (mostly imported). Meat is used more and more, and for the
most part Dutch recipes are used.
The most interesting products
of the local cuisine are boiled shrimp with greens from San Nikolaus,
small pasties stuffed with meat, shrimp, fish and spices "pastechis",
meatballs "bitterball", stewed lamb "stoba", bean fritters "kala", pea
ervten-soep soup, pastechi meat or cheese pies, ayakas meat roll,
croqueshi fish meatballs, sopi-di-piss fish soup, tutu pea-grain
porridge, caramel dessert quesio, pudding di coco coconut pudding, and
ponche creme rum punch.
All types of imported alcoholic beverages
are widely available on the island. First-class beers are produced here,
including the Balashi variety, which has a well-deserved recognition.
mass media
Periodicals are printed on the island in Papiamento,
Dutch and English. Among the most widespread newspapers is Diario Aruba
(inaccessible link). Archived from the original on 11 June 2008, Bon
Dia, Awemainta (all in Papiamento), Amigoe (Dutch, English), A.M.
Digital, Aruba Today (both in English), etc. The first newspaper
published in the Papiamento language, Civilisado, was first published in
1871.
The island has ATV and Tele Aruba television channels, as
well as Radio Kelkboom radio stations (inaccessible link). Archived from
the original on June 12, 2008, at Hit 94, Magic 96.5 and Canal 90.
Sport
In 1952-1984, Aruban athletes competed at the Summer
Olympics as part of the Netherlands Antilles, then since 1988 as an
independent delegation. Until now, there is not a single Olympic medal
in the piggy bank of Aruba.
The Aruba Football Union (Dutch.
Arubaanse Voetbal Bond) has been a member of FIFA since 1988.
Attractions
The attractions of the island can be divided into natural
and cultural. Natural attractions include the Arikok National Park, on
the territory of which the highest point of the island, Yamanota, is
located, a natural pool separated from the sea by rocks, and several
caves. One of the symbols of the island is the Oyberg Hill. The natural
bridge was also popular with tourists, but it collapsed on September 2,
2005.
The oldest preserved house (kunuku) of Aruba is located in
Savanete. Next to it there is also a small beach Coral Reef Beach.
The city of Noord is famous for its historic churches - St. Anna,
located in Noord, and Alto Vista, a few kilometers north of the city.
Close to the city are the beaches of Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.
Tourists also visit the California Lighthouse, located in the
northwestern part of the island.
A monument to Ekura Boyu, a
national hero who fought against the German invaders in the Netherlands
and was shot near The Hague, was erected in the city. When the body was
buried on the island of Aruba in 1947, he was given a funeral with
military honors, and in 1987 he was posthumously awarded the "het
Verzetsherdenkingskruis" medal.
On May 30, 2005, during a graduation trip to Aruba, Natalie Ann Holloway, a graduate of Mountain Brook High School, disappeared. Her disappearance caused a great resonance in the American media. Some of them even called for a boycott of the island. Three local residents were detained on suspicion of involvement in the disappearance, the investigation lasted until the end of 2007, but did not lead to results. The girl was never found. This has led to a decrease in the flow of tourists to Aruba.