Aruba

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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.

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Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

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12 30 N, 69 58 W

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Central America and the Caribbean

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slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

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68.5 km

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tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

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flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

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NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

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NA

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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

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

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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)

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

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<strong>note:</strong> data represent population by nationality

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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.)

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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.)

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1.05% (2025 est.)

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

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

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

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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

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30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

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1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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0.9 (2025 est.)

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46.8% (2020 est.)

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

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tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

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parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

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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

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<strong>note: </strong>the other three constituent countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are the Netherlands, Sint Maarten, and Curacao

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civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

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see the Netherlands

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18 years of age; universal

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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)

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none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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

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none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

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National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

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<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

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Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill

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blue, yellow, red, white

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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

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$3.649 billion (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<strong>note:</strong> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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aloes; livestock; fish

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tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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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)

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.aw

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P4

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1 (2025)

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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)

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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)