island lying southwest of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, some 50 miles (80 kilometres) northwest of Curaçao and 18 miles north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná. It is 19.6 miles long and 6 miles across at its widest point and has an area of 75 square miles (193 square kilometres). The capital is Oranjestad, which also is the main port.

Aruba was formerly a part of the Netherlands Antilles. In 1986 it became a separate self-governing part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

Physical and human geography

Aruba is generally low in altitude and consists of igneous rocks, fringed with coral reefs. The 620-foot (189-metre) Mount Jamanota is the highest point and the 560-foot monadnock Mount Hooiberg ("Haystack") the most characteristic hill. In some places immense monolithic boulders of diorite are peculiarly piled on top of one another. Aruba has barren soil with little or no natural irrigation. Most drinking water is obtained by desalinating seawater. The temperature varies little from an annual average of 81 F (27 C), and the heat is tempered by northeasterly trade winds. Rainfall is low and variable, usually amounting to about 17 inches (430 millimetres) a year. The island lies outside the usual path of hurricanes. The natural vegetation consists of a variety of drought-resistant cacti, shrubs, and trees.

The people

Most of Aruba's population is racially mixed, including a considerable percentage of American Indian stock, often in combination with Dutch, Spanish, and African strains. The black influence is minimal, however, few slaves having been imported to Aruba. The official language is Dutch, but the common language is Papiamento (also spoken in Curaçao and Bonaire), a creole that evolved mainly from Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch. English and Spanish are also widely used. The major religion is Roman Catholicism. The birth and death rates are both relatively low, and the rate of natural increase is less than average for the West Indies.

The economy

Until the end of the 18th century, Aruba was used by the colonial authorities for horse breeding, the local and mainland Indians serving as herdsmen. Only from the early 19th century on was land sold to individual settlers. Agriculture remained of little importance despite efforts to grow aloe for pharmaceutical products. Gold mining began in 1824 but was discontinued by the early 20th century. Aruba's economy improved when oil refining started in the 1920s at the port of Sint Nicolaas; crude oil was imported mainly from Venezuela. The closing of the refinery in 1985 provoked a serious economic crisis, which has been overcome by aggressive promotion and expansion of tourism, including the building of luxury hotels and casinos to exploit the idyllic island setting. Attempts to diversify the economy include the development of a free-trade zone and plans to develop Aruba into an international offshore financial centre. Aruba's foreign trade is mainly with the United States, Venezuela, and The Netherlands. The island has an international airport and is further linked to the outside world by steamship and cruise ship services.

Administration and social conditions

A governor, appointed by the Dutch crown, is the formal head of government and representative of the reigning monarch of The Netherlands. Executive authority is vested in a Council of Ministers, headed by a prime minister. The council is responsible to a unicameral legislature, the Staten (States), elected by universal adult suffrage. Most of the population is literate. All levels of education, including postsecondary, are available. Health standards on the island are high.

Cultural life

The Cultural Center at Oranjestad offers concerts, ballet, folkloric presentations, and art exhibits throughout the year. The city also includes historical, archaeological, and numismatic museums. Carnival time in February and the New Year's Day festivities are especially colourful celebrations.

Originally inhabited by Arawak Indians, Aruba was discovered and claimed by Spain in 1499. In 1636 it was taken by the Dutch and occupied by the Dutch West India Company. As part of the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba came briefly under British rule during the Napoleonic Wars but was returned to The Netherlands in 1816.

The economy remained weak until an oil refinery was constructed at Sint Nicolaas in the 1920s, which raised the standard of living dramatically. Immigration from the rest of the Caribbean, the United States, Venezuela, and Europe contributed to a substantial increase in population. Despite its new economic strength, Aruba remained politically subordinated to the main island of Curaçao.

In 1986 Aruba obtained autonomous status, the result of a popular movement led by the Movimento Electoral di Pueblo (People's Electoral Movement) to break away from Curaçaoan--rather than from Dutch--domination. In 1994 the Aruban government, in conjunction with the governments of The Netherlands and the Netherlands Antilles, decided to postpone indefinitely the transition to full independence.