About Aruba

Aruba, an island slightly larger than Washington, DC, lies 18 mi (28.9 km) off the coast lineof Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. It is noted that the Arawak Indians were the originalinhabitants of Aruba.

Spain explored the island in 1499, and more than a century later the Netherlands (1636) claimed the island. Soon after a brief rule by the British, the Dutch again took control of the island in 1816, and it officially transformed to a part of the Netherlands Antilles in 1845.

On Jan. 1, 1986, Aruba seceded from the federation, but it made a decision in 1994 to postpone indefinitely the transition to complete independence. Did you know that the Netherlands controls Aruba's defense and foreign affairs, but all internal affairs are and have always been handled by an island government directing its own civil service, judiciary, revenue, and currency.

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