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Aruba

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

                      Aruba

   Flag of Aruba Coat of Arms of Aruba
   Flag          Coat of Arms
   Anthem: Aruba Dushi Tera
   Location of Aruba
   Capital
   (and largest city) Oranjestad
   Official languages Dutch and Papiamento
   Government         Constitutional monarchy
    - Governor        Fredis Refunjol
    - Queen           Beatrix
    - Prime Minister  Nelson O. Oduber
      Independence    from Netherlands Antilles
    - Date            1 January 1986
                       Area
    - Total           193 km²
                      74.5 sq mi
    - Water (%)       negligible
                    Population
    - 2006 estimate   102,695 ( 195th)
    - Density         571/km² ( 18th)
                      1479/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2004 estimate
    - Total           $2.13 billion ( 182nd)
    - Per capita      $21,800 ( 32nd)
        Currency      Aruban florin ( AWG)
       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,
   and it forms a part of 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.

History

   Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was conquered by the
   Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main
   industries: gold mining, petroleum, and tourism.

   Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles on January 1, 1986, and
   became a separate, self-governing member of the Kingdom of the
   Netherlands. Movement toward full independence by 1996 was halted at
   Aruba's request in 1990.

Politics

   Politics of Aruba, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the
   Netherlands, takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
   representative democratic 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 for four-year
   terms. The legislature or Staten is made up of 21 members elected by
   direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms.

   Together with the European part of Netherlands and the Dutch Antilles,
   Aruba forms a federacy.

Law

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

Geography

   Map of Aruba.
   Enlarge
   Map of Aruba.
   Natural bridge in Aruba.
   Enlarge
   Natural bridge in 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/state 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.

Economy

   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.

   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. The Aruban florin
   is pegged to the United States dollar with a fixed exchange rate where
   1.79 florin equals 1 U.S. dollar.

Demographics

   Population of Aruba, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in
   thousands.
   Enlarge
   Population of Aruba, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in
   thousands.

   Having poor soil and aridity, Aruba was saved from plantation economics
   and the slave trade. In 1515, the Spanish transported the entire
   population to Hispaniola to work in the copper mines; most were allowed
   to return when the mines were tapped out. The Dutch, who took control a
   century later, left the Arawaks to 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 from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. Recently there
   has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring Latin
   American and Caribbean nations, attracted by the lure of well-paying
   jobs.

   The two official languages are the Dutch language and the predominant,
   national language Papiamento. This creole language is formed primarily
   from 16th century Portuguese, and several other languages. Spanish and
   English are also spoken. Islanders can often speak four or more
   languages and are mostly Roman Catholic.

Culture

   The origins of the population and location of the island give Aruba a
   mixed culture. Dutch influence can still be seen, even though not much
   of the population is of Dutch origin. Tourism from the United States
   has recently also increased the visibility of American culture on the
   island. Queen Beatrix International Airport, located near Oranjestad,
   currently serves the whole island of Aruba. This airport has access to
   various cities across the eastern U.S., from Miami, Orlando, Houston,
   Atlanta, New York and Boston. It also connects Aruba with Europe
   through Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

   The holiday of Carnival is an important one in Aruba, as it is in many
   Caribbean and Latin American countries. Carnival is usually held from
   the beginning of January until the end of February, with a large parade
   on the final Sunday of the festivities.

Language

   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
   Papiamento. However, islanders are known to speak many languages.
   Islanders often speak Papiamento, 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.

Places of interest

     * Alto Vista Chapel
     * Arikok National Park
     * Ayo Rock Formations
     * Bushiribana & Balashi
     * California Lighthouse
     * Frenchman's Pass
     * Hooiberg
     * Lourdes Grotto
     * Natural Bridge (Collapsed on September 2, 2005 )
     * Natural Pool
     * Palm Beach
     * Eagle Beach
     * Arashi
     * Baby Beach, Aruba
     * Aruba Aloe Factory
     * The Butterfly Farm

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruba"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
