About Aruba

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Aruba is an island that was formed from volcanic activity approximately 90 million years ago. The first settlers of Aruba were apparently Amerindian Arawaks, known as the Caiquetios, possibly from the Orinoco Basin of South America, who lived in small groups and took their food from the sea. Eventually they developed into an agricultural society, producing large-vessel pottery decorated with quite sophisticated paintings or drawings, which they also used to decorate their sacred or ceremonial places, located in natural caves on the island. What remains of the cave drawings indicates that the Indians worshipped the sun and the moon.

In 1499, a Spaniard named Alonso de Ojeda “discovered” Aruba and claimed it for Spain. Because there appeared to be no gold on Aruba, and because the land was essentially arid, Aruba was spared from the worst effects of colonization. In 1515, however, the entire indigenous population was forcibly transported to Hispaniola, home island of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, to work as slaves. Some of these people were allowed to return after 1527, when Spain began actively to colonize Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. But the Indians were still treated as slaves.

The flag of Aruba

Christianity was introduced to the island by Spanish missionaries. No written records of conversion survive; the permanent presence of priests on the island may have contributed to the destruction not only of the Indians’ original religion, but much of their culture. During this period (from 1527 to 1636), the island became a clandestine retreat for pirates who attacked ships heading for Europe.

In 1636 (or 1642, depending on which authority you credit), the Dutch took possession of Aruba. Under the Dutch, the Indians were allowed to live as free men. The British controlled the island for a brief period between 1805 and 1816, but the Dutch returned in the latter year.

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In 1824, gold was discovered near Bushiribana, setting off a gold rush. The rush continued until the mines petered out, around 1916. In 1928, however, “black gold” replaced gold as a source of income for the island -- Aruba became the home of one of the largest refineries in the world, processing oil from Venezuela. This was very profitable, and the island’s economy thrived. During the 1940s, Aruba began to push for a “status apart” from the Dutch Kingdom.

When the refinery closed in 1985 as a result of the worldwide petroleum glut, Aruba’s leaders looked at the topography of the island -- the northern coast of Aruba features rugged terrain and arid sand, while the southern coast has fine white sandy beaches with placid turquoise seas -- and decided that the future of Aruba’s economy would be tied to tourism, and the government began actively to promote tourism to Aruba. In 1986 Aruba finally won its autonomy, becoming a separate state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and although the oil refinery was reopened in 1991, tourism has remained the main engine of the Aruban economy.

Dutch is taught in the schools as the official language of Aruba, but the popular language is Papiamento, and since 1998 it also has been taught in the schools. Papiamento is an amalgam of Spanish, Dutch, English, and Portuguese. Aruban students also study English, and many Arubans speak additional languages, including Spanish and French.

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