Aruba

Name: Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The citizens of these countries all share a single nationality: Dutch. Aruba has no administrative subdivisions, but, for census purposes, is divided into eight regions. Its capital is Oranjestad.

Aruba’s first inhabitants are thought to have been Caquetío Amerindians from the Arawak tribe, who migrated there from Venezuela to escape attacks by the Caribs. Fragments of the earliest known Indian settlements date back to 1000 AD. As sea currents made canoe travel to other Caribbean islands difficult, Caquetio culture remained more closely associated with that of mainland South America.

Date of Membership in CCLEC: (1989 – Miami)

Motto: “One Happy Island”

Status: Sovereign State – Kingdom of the Netherlands

Area: 178.91 km2 (69.08 miles2)

GDP: 2011 estimate – US$2.616 billion

Population: 2014 est. :103,400

Capital City: Oranjestad

Official Language: Dutch, Papiamento

Currency: Aruban Florin (AWG)