28 Facts About Aruba

1.

Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about 29 kilometres north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguana and 80 kilometres northwest of Curacao.

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2.

Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curacao, and Sint Maarten; the citizens of these countries are all Dutch nationals.

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3.

Aruba has no administrative subdivisions, but, for census purposes, is divided into eight regions.

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4.

Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape.

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5.

Common misconception is that the name Aruba came from the Spanish Oro hubo which means "There was gold".

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6.

Aruba subsequently became part of the Colony of Curacao and Dependencies along with Bonaire.

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7.

In 1940, the oil facilities in Aruba came under the administration of the Dutch government-in-exile in London, causing them to be attacked by the German navy in 1942.

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8.

In 1972, at a conference in Suriname, Betico Croes, a politician from Aruba, proposed the creation of a Dutch Commonwealth of four states: Aruba, the Netherlands, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles, each to have its own nationality.

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9.

In March 1983, Aruba reached an official agreement within the Kingdom for its independence, to be developed in a series of steps as the Crown granted increasing autonomy.

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10.

On 1 January 1986, after elections were held for its first parliament, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles, officially becoming a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with full independence planned for 1996.

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11.

Aruba died in 1986, never seeing the enacting of status aparte for Aruba for which he had worked over many years.

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12.

Aruba is a generally flat, riverless island in the Leeward Antilles island arc of the Lesser Antilles in the southern part of the Caribbean.

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13.

Aruba has white sandy beaches on the western and southern coasts of the island, relatively sheltered from fierce ocean currents.

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14.

Aruba is south of the typical latitudes of hurricanes but was affected by two in their early stages in late 2020.

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15.

In recent years, the government of Aruba has shown an increased interest in acknowledging the cultural and historical importance of Papiamento.

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16.

Venezuelan TV networks are received on the island, and Aruba has significant Venezuelan and Colombian communities.

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17.

Aruba is cartographically split into eight for censuses; these regions have no administrative function; some allude to parishes which include a few charitable community facilities:.

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18.

Aruba's politics take place within a framework of a 21-member Staten and an eight-member Cabinet; the Staten's 21 members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve a four-year term.

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19.

The governor of Aruba is appointed for a six-year term by the monarch, and the prime minister and deputy prime minister are indirectly elected by the Staten for four-year terms.

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20.

Aruba was formerly a part of the Netherlands Antilles; however, it separated from that entity in 1986, gaining its own constitution.

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21.

Aruba is designated as a member of the Overseas Countries and Territories and is thus officially not a part of the European Union, though Aruba can and does receive support from the European Development Fund.

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22.

The Korps Politie Aruba is the island's law enforcement agency and operates district precincts in Oranjestad, Noord, San Nicolaas, and Santa Cruz, where it is headquartered.

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23.

Aruba is one of the overseas countries and territories of the European Union and maintains economic and cultural relations with the European Union and the United States.

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24.

Aruba is a member of several international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and Interpol.

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25.

Defence on Aruba is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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26.

Aruba has one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region.

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27.

Aruba has two free trade zones, where import and export and the movement of services are tax-free.

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28.

Since 2008, Aruba has been the only island to have this service for private flights.

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