Aruba

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Central America and the Caribbean

slightly larger than Washington, D.C.

68.5 km

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

NA

most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlements tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

a flat, riverless island known for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

Dutch 78.7%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 5.5%, Dominican 2.8%, Haitian 1.3%, other 5.1% (2020 est.)

Papiamento (official) (a creole language that mixes Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, French, African languages, and Arawak) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)

Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes Methodist 0.9%, Adventist 0.9%, Anglican 0.4%, other Protestant 2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010 est.)

1.05% (2025 est.)

11.44 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.85 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

7.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlements tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island

30,000 ORANJESTAD (capital) (2018)

1.82 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.9 (2025 est.)

46.8% (2020 est.)

parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

civil law system based on the Dutch civil code

see the Netherlands

18 years of age; universal

none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU

none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)

Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill

blue, yellow, red, white

small, tourism-dependent, territorial-island economy; very high public debt; COVID-19 crippled economic activity; partial recovery underway via tourism, benefitting from its high amount of timeshare residences; considering reopening oil refinery

$3.649 billion (2023 est.)

aloes; livestock; fish

tourism, petroleum transshipment facilities, banking

Jordan 34%, Colombia 31%, USA 7%, Guyana 5%, Slovakia 5% (2023)

tobacco, gas turbines, refined petroleum, steam turbines, heating machinery (2023)

USA 53%, Netherlands 15%, China 6%, Colombia 3%, Brazil 3% (2023)

refined petroleum, tobacco, cars, garments, jewelry (2023)

freedom of the press respected, as guaranteed under Dutch law; newspapers are in the Papiamento language; 2 commercial TV stations, with a cable TV subscription service providing access to foreign channels; wide range of commercial radio stations available (2023)

.aw

P4

1 (2025)

no regular military forces; Aruban Militia (ARUMIL); Police Department for local law enforcement, supported by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Gendarmerie), the Dutch Caribbean Police Force (Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland, KPCN), and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG or Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied (KWCARIB)) (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; the Aruba security services focus on organized crime and terrorism; the Dutch Government controls foreign and defense policy; the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) provides maritime security; the Dutch military maintains a presence on Aruba, including a marine company and a naval base (2024)