Some Aruba History
Aruba, One Happy Island
Welcome to the tourist information page here you will find lots of useful information when planning a visit to Aruba. Information like accommodations, places to go, things to do and much more.
Aruba has on of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Be sure to visit Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, miles and miles tropical white sand beach. For the sun admirers, Aruba is the place to be. And of course not to forget the Arubans who are extremely friendly towards tourists, and all the bars, restaurants, casinos and other forms of nightlife, you’ll understand why Aruba is such a perfect place to go for a vacation.
Aruba was discovered in 1499 by the Spaniard Alonso de Ojeda. In 1636 near the culmination of the 80 Year War between Spain and Holland, the Dutch took possession. There was an interregnum from 1805 to 1816 during the Napoleon Wars and the English assumed control. In 1816 the Dutch returned.
In 1824 the greatest treasure of all was discovered o yes, gold! Aruba had its first industry and the mines yielded until it became uneconomic and was discontinued in 1916.
1924 was probably the most important year in the island’s history, the Lago Oil & Transport Company was build now it is owned by Coastel Oil Company
Further prosperity was brought by tourism.
After 1986, the government has emphasized on the tourism industry and has tripled the amount of hotel rooms.
In the last years, Aruba’s tourism has shown a constant increase.
A true mix of ancestors has produced people of striking appearance and warm and friendly personality.
The earliest recorded history of Aruba notes that the first inhabitants were the peace-loving Arawak Indian tribe of the Caiquetio nation who were farmers and fishermen.
They left behind paintings on the walls and ceilings of the caves as well as on great granite rocks at Ayo and Arikok, with the dye of the paint wood trees. These inscriptions are well preserved but their meaning remains a mystery.
In recent excavations by geologists, ancient clay pottery and artifacts were discovered. The historic museum downtown has most of these items on display.
Indian features is apparent in most Arubans. But they also reflect the features of the Dutch and Spanish who settled on the island in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Today Aruba has over 80,000 inhabitants there are over 40 nationalities living peacefully together.
On January 1, 1986 Aruba became a separate entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Prior to that date, Aruba was a member of the Netherlands Antilles, which comprised the group of six Dutch Caribbean islands.
With Aruba’s new status, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has three separate components: the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is responsible for the defense and foreign affairs of the Kingdom. Other government tasks are carried out by each country itself.
The structure of Aruba’s government is now as follows:
Aruba has a Governor appointed by the Queen of the Kingdom for a term of office consisting of six years who acts as the representative of the Queen on the island. The Legislature consists of a parliament which comprises 21 members who are elected by universal suffrage for terms of office not to exceed four years. The Council of Ministers forms the executive power, and is presided over by a Prime Minister.
Jurisdiction in Aruba lies with a Common Court of Justice of Aruba(Gerecht in Eerste Aanleg) and the Netherlands Antilles(Hof) and a Supreme Court of Justice(Hoge Raad) in the Netherlands.
The educational system is Dutch. Instruction is in Dutch, and the same standards applied to institutions in the Netherlands are met by the island’s schools. About twenty four percent of the island’s budget is devoted to education. The languages English, Spanish, French are taught in school.
We hope this information serves you to plan a nice trip or vacation to Aruba. Enjoy your visit.