Aruba
Aruba | |
|---|---|
Constituent country | |
| Country of Aruba Land Aruba (Dutch) Pais Aruba (Papiamento) | |
| Anthem: "Aruba Dushi Tera" (English: "Aruba, Sweet Land") | |
| Royal anthem: "Wilhelmus" (English: "William of Nassau") | |
Location of Aruba (circled in red) | |
| Sovereign state | Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Before separation | Netherlands Antilles |
| Country status | 1 January 1986 |
| Capital and largest city | Oranjestad 12°31′7″N 70°2′9″W / 12.51861°N 70.03583°W |
| Official languages | |
| Other languages | Spanish, English |
| Ethnic groups (2020) |
|
| Demonym(s) | Aruban Arubaan, Arubaanse (Dutch) |
| Government | Devolved parliamentary representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Willem-Alexander |
• Governor | Alfonso Boekhoudt |
| Mike Eman | |
| Legislature | Parliament of Aruba |
| Area | |
• Total | 180 km2 (69 sq mi) (189th) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Highest elevation | 188 m (617 ft) |
| Population | |
• 2025 census | 108,880 |
• Density | 560.4/km2 (1,451.4/sq mi) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $5.502 billion |
• Per capita | $51,352 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $3.827 billion |
• Per capita | $35,717 |
| Currency | Aruban florin (ƒ) (AWG) |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (AST) |
| Mains electricity | 127 V/60 Hz |
| Driving side | Right |
| Calling code | +297 |
| ISO 3166 code | |
| Internet TLD | .aw |
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Curaçao. In 1986, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
Aruba has an area of 179 km2 (69.1 sq mi). Aruba measures 32 kilometres (20 mi) in length from its northwestern to its southeastern end and is 10 kilometres (6 mi) across at its widest point. Aruba is geologically located in South America, lying on the South American continental shelf. Alongside Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms part of an island group referred to as the ABC islands. The Dutch Caribbean encompasses the ABC islands along with the other three substantial islands, the SSS islands. In contrast to much of the Caribbean, which experiences humid tropical climates, Aruba has a dry climate with an arid xeric landscape. The relatively warm and sunny weather persists throughout the year.
With a population of 108,880 (excluding undocumented immigrants), Aruba is home to about one-third of the total population of the Dutch Caribbean. As one of the four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, alongside the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten, Aruba shares Dutch nationality with its citizens. Aruba lacks administrative subdivisions but is divided into eight regions for census purposes with Oranjestad as its capital.