Aruba

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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 Kingdom of the Netherlands. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, it 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.

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Law 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Language 9 Places of interest 10 See also 11 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Aruba

Europeans first learned of Aruba when Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Ojeda came across it in 1499.

In 1508 Alonso de Ojeda became also Spain's first appointed Governor of Aruba as part of "Nueva Andalusia".

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

Another known Governor appointed by Spain is Juan de Ampues. He is later replaced by a representative of the "House of Welser"

Aruba under Dutch administration from 1647: Peter Stuyvesant. Under the Dutch W.I.C. administration as "New Netherlands and Curacao" from 1648-1664. The Dutch administration appoints in 1667 an Irishman as "Commandeur" in Aruba.

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 stay for a day or week in Aruba in 1806

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

During W.W. 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.

March 1944: Eleanor Roosevelt paid a brief visit to the American troops stationed in Aruba during World War II.

In August 1947, Aruba presented its first "Staatsreglement", for the status of an Independent, completely autonomous State within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, under the authority of the crown.

In 1972, at a Conference in Surinam, Betico Croes proposed Aruba's Independence, and 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 excercise Aruba's Self-determination Right and Independence, the National Flag and National Anthem was introduced by a special committee appointed by Betico Croes.

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 Independence was 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 Independence from the Netherlands Antilles on January 1, 1986, as an independent, self-governing member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in preparation for it's full independence for 1996. This last achievement is largely due to the diplomatic prowess of the late Betico Croes. 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.

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of Aruba

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.

[edit] Law

Legal jurisdiction lies with a Gerecht in Eerste Aanleg (Court of First Instance) on Aruba, a Gemeenschappelijk Hof van Justitie voor de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba (Common Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba and the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden (Supreme Court of Justice of the Netherlands).

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Aruba

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

As a separate member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the island has no administrative subdivisions. On 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.

The local climate is 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. Yearly precipitation barely reaches 500 mm (20 in), most of it falling in late autumn.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Aruba

Aruba enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region, 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. This is much disputed for the fact that government spending has not been reduced, and the oil refinery on the island has been given special status to pay a lesser tax for exportation (1% of the 3%). The inflation for 2006 has been calculated to 2.5%.

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Aruba

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, who married a native American, had the entire population transported to Hispaniola where they all had to learn the fifteenth century vulgar "Spanish" spoken there and work 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 and Dutch and a few French, British and African 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.

The two official languages are the Dutch language and the national language Papiamento. However, like many islands in the region, English has historical connections (with the British Empire) and is known by many, English usage is also growing due to tourism, Spanish is also often spoken.

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Aruba

See also: Music of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles

The origins of the population and location of the island give Aruba a mixed culture. Dutch influence can still be seen, as in the celebration of the "Sinterklaas" Day on December 5 and 6, even though not much of the population is of Dutch origin.

Christmas and New Year are celebrated with the typical music and songs of gaitas for Christmas and the dande for New Year, and the "ayaca", the "ponchi crema", and other typical foods and drinks. In June there is the celebration of the "Dia di San Juan", with the song of "Dera Gay".

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.

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 W.W.II, around the 1940's, either influenced by the American Troops from New Orleans stationed in Aruba, or/and 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. This airport has daily flights to various cities across the United States, to San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; New York, and Boston, Massachusetts. It also connects Aruba with South America, with daily flights to the international airports of Caracas, Venezuela Bogota, Colombia, and with Europe through the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

[edit] Language

Main article: Languages in Aruba

Language can be seen as an important part of island culture in Aruba. The cultural mixture has given way to a linguistic mixture known as Aruba's national language Papiamento. However, islanders are known to speak many other languages, including English, Dutch and Spanish.

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 per island and even per group of people. Some are more oriented towards the Spanish roots and use the equivalent spelling (e.g. "y" instead of "j"), where others are more oriented towards the Dutch roots.

In a book The Buccaneers of America first published in 1678, is stated by eyewitness account that 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.

[edit] 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 [1]

[edit] See also

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

[edit] External links

• Aruba pictures
• More Aruba Photos
• Central Bank of Aruba
• Aruba Ports Authority
• Aruba Airport Authority
• Aruba Health Insurance (AZV)
• Aruba.com - Governmental Tourism Portal
• Pictures & Images of Aruba
• CIA World Factbook entry on Aruba

Geographic locale

v • d • e Countries and territories of the Caribbean Sovereign states Commonwealth Realms Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Grenada · Jamaica · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines Commonwealth republics Dominica · Trinidad and Tobago Other republics Cuba · Dominican Republic · Haiti Dependencies and other territories British Anguilla · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands Dutch Aruba · Netherlands Antilles French Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint-Barthélemy · St. Martin American Navassa Island · Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands v • d • e Countries of South America Sovereign states Argentina · Bolivia · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Ecuador · Guyana · Panama* · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago* · Uruguay · Venezuela Dependencies Aruba* (Netherlands) · Falkland Islands (UK) · French Guiana (France) · Netherlands Antilles* (Netherlands) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (UK) * Territories also in or commonly reckoned elsewhere in the Americas (North America).

International membership and history

v • d • e Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Members Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas1 · Barbados · Belize · Dominica · Grenada · Guyana · Haiti1 · Jamaica · Montserrat2 · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago Associate members Anguilla · Bermuda · Cayman Islands · British Virgin Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands Observers Aruba · Colombia · Dominican Republic · Mexico · Netherlands Antilles · Puerto Rico · Venezuela 1 Member of the Community but not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).   2 British overseas territory awaiting instruments of entrustment to join the CSME. v • d • e Outlying territories of European countries Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information)  Denmark Faroe Islands · Greenland  France Clipperton Island · French Guiana · French Polynesia · French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Amsterdam • Saint-Paul • Crozet • Kerguelen • Adélie Land1 • Scattered islands in the Indian Ocean: Bassas da India • Europa Island • Glorioso Islands • Juan de Nova Island • Tromelin Island) · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Mayotte · New Caledonia · Réunion · Saint-Barthélemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Wallis and Futuna  Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire • Curaçao • Saba • Sint Maarten • Sint Eustatius)  Norway Bouvet Island · Peter I Island1 · Queen Maud Land1  Portugal Azores · Madeira  Spain Canary Islands · Plazas de soberanía (Ceuta • Melilla)  United Kingdom Anguilla · Ascension Island · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Montserrat · Saint Helena · Tristan da Cunha · Turks and Caicos Islands · British Antarctic Territory1 · British Indian Ocean Territory · Pitcairn Islands · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 1 Sovereignity over territories in Antarctica currently suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System. Dutch empire Former colonies Africa: Arguin Island - Cape Colony - Lydsaamheid fort & factory in Delagoa Bay - Dutch Gold Coast - Gorée - Mauritius The Americas: Berbice - New Holland (in Brazil) (part), Dutch Brazil - Dutch Guiana - Demerara - Essequibo annex Pomeroon New Netherland (New Amsterdam, New Sweden) - Tobago - Virgin Islands (part) Asia & Oceania: Ceylon - Dutch India (Dutch Bengal - Coromandel Coast - Malabar Coast) - Deshima island, Japan - Dutch East Indies - Malacca - Netherlands New Guinea - Taiwan Artic: Smeerenburg on Amsterdam island See also: Dutch East India Company - Dutch West India Company Present colonies Kingdom of the Netherlands: Netherlands Antilles - Aruba