Aruba

Flag of Aruba

Background Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. 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, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.

Map of Aruba

More about Aruba:

Geography

People

Government

Economy

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Transportation

Military

Transnational Issues

AW (Internet), AW (ISO 3166), ABW (ISO 3166), AA (FIPS 10-4)