Last updated on August 27th, 2019
Did you know?
21. The legal drinking age in Aruba is 18 for beer, wine, and spirits.
22. Aruba’s first multi-story resort hotel–the Caribbean Hotel–opened in 1959.
23. Littering laws are quite strict in the island nation. So be careful and do not throw empty bottles of beer or wine on the beaches!
24. Aruba does not have any significant natural sources of fresh water. You can drink Aruba’s tap water without any worries, as it is supplied from a saltwater desalination plant.
25. Today, It is a densely populated country with limited land resources and a huge population.
26. Most Arubans are multilingual, and are able to communicate in English and Spanish, as well.
27. While on the island, dial 911 if you require an ambulance, and 100 for police.
28. The license plate of Aruban cars is adorned with their slogan – ‘One happy Island.’ Aruba still issues new plates every year – possibly because of the value of used plate sales to tourists.
29. Aruba was a Spanish colony for at least 100 years.
30. The Aruban currency has images of the rattlesnake and the owl.
31. Aruba does not utilize Daylight Saving Time.
32. Aruba sees an average annual temperature of 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit).
33. Foreign workers are restricted to three years residency on the island. This immigration law was enforced in 2007 to restrict population growth.
34. Officially, Aruba is not a part of the European Union.
35. Tourism, aloe exports, and petroleum refining dominate the island’s economy.
36. The official currency of Aruba is Aruban florin. However, many businesses operate using U.S. dollars instead of florins because of a large number of American visitors to the island. You can pay in U.S. dollars at hotels and resorts on the island.
Aruba – country at a glance
| Capital City | Oranjestad (12°31′N 70°2′W) |
|---|---|
| Largest City | Oranjestad (12°31′N 70°2′W) |
| Total area | 180 sq km |
| Population | 108,091 (2024 est.) |
| Official Language | Dutch and Papiamento |
| Demonym | Aruban |
| Borders | Bordered by the Caribbean sea on all sides. (No land borders) |
| Currency | Aruban florin (AWG) |
| Literacy | 97.8% (2024 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age |
| Religion | Catholicism |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.5 years (2024 est.) Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life. |
| Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism |
| Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea 0 m |
| Highest point | Ceru Jamanota 188 m |
| Climate | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
| Agricultural land | 11.1% |
| Birth rate | 11.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Death rate | 8.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Sex ratio | 0.9 male(s)/female (2024 est.) |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy (Legislature); part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Monarch | Willem-Alexander |
| Prime Minister | Evelyn Wever-Croes |
| National symbol | Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill |
| National colors | blue, yellow, red, white |
| National anthem | "Aruba Deshi Tera" (Aruba Precious Country) |
| Industries | tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking |
| Exports | $2.853 billion (2022 est.) tobacco, liquor, refined petroleum, scrap iron, orthopedic appliances (2022) |
| Imports | $2.429 billion (2022 est.) refined petroleum, crude petroleum, tobacco, jewelry, other foods (2022) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $42,300 (2022 est.) |
| Internet country code | .aw |
| Time Zone | AST (UTC−4) |
| Calling Code | +297 |
| Drives on the | Right |
| Table last updated | October 24, 2024 |