Aruba, like neighboring Bonaire and Curaçao, was the home of the Arubaes - an Arawak tribe from the South American mainland. The first European to stumble upon Aruba was Alonso de Ojeda, a compatriot of Columbus, who claimed the island for Spain in 1499. The Spanish took little interest in Aruba, apart from shipping some of the Arawaks to work in mines on Hispaniola. Conflict in Europe between Spain and Holland resulted in the Dutch seizing the island in 1636, and the Dutch began to colonize Aruba at the end of the 17th century.
Poor soil and aridity saved the island from plantation economics and the slave trade. Instead the Dutch left the Arawaks to graze livestock on the parched landscape, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. The first of Aruba's three economic booms took place when gold was discovered near Balashi. A flood of gold-hungry immigrants arrived from Europe and Venezuela, and mining continued right up until 1916.
When the mines became unproductive, Aruba turned to oil refining in a big way. In 1929 the world's largest refinery was built on the southeastern tip of the island. Things hummed along quite swimmingly until the 1940s, when Aruba began to resent playing second fiddle to Curaçao in the federation known as the Netherlands Antilles (then composed of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Suriname). Calls for autonomy increased over the next 40 years, and in 1986 Aruba finally got its way and became an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The new level of independence came close on the heels of a severe economic downturn, prompted largely by the closure of Aruba's oil refinery. Having exhausted the real gold and refined the black gold, the Arubians turned to tourism to bankroll their future.
The refinery reopened in 1991, but tourism is now very much the mainstay of the island's economy. Despite the economic autonomy enabled by the tourist boom, plans for full independence in 1996 were shelved. The Dutch maintain responsibility for the island's foreign affairs and defense and continue to support Aruba's economy.
Aruba's small labor force and less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years.
Arubans are gymnastic linguists, many of them speaking four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento, sometimes in the same conversation. Papiamento is a melodious language derived from every culture that has impacted on the region, including traces of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French and local Indian languages. It's spoken throughout the Netherlands Antilles but is more Spanish-based on Aruba, an indication of the island's closer ties with the South American mainland. Making an effort to use a few Papiamento words will delight your Aruban hosts.
The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands, though the indigenous language and culture did not last long into the 19th century. No full-blooded Indians remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. The majority of the population is descended from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. Arawak petroglyphs can be seen in several parts of the island, including Fontein cave in the Arikok National Park, and an Indian village is still being excavated at Tanki Flip.
Music is a big part of cultural expression and everyday life for Arubans.The most popular styles are lyric-heavy calypso, beat-based soca and merengue and a local blend known as socarengue.
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Visas: US and Canadian citizens can visit with proof of citizenship, such as a photo ID and a birth certificate. Most other nationalities require just a passport. A roundtrip or onward ticket is required of all visitors.
Health risks: Sunburn :)
You'll need a car to explore the interior or northern windward coast. There are international and local car rental agencies; the bigger chains have offices at the airport and luxury hotels. Your home driving license is valid, though you must be at least 21 years old. Drive on the right-hand side of the road, and note that speed limits are signposted in km/h.
There's a frequent bus service between Malmok in the island's northwest and San Nicolas in the southeast. It passes through Oranjestad, the hotel beach strip and runs right by the airport.Taxis hang around the larger hotels and popular tourist spots.