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General
Island name: Aruba.
Country: Aruba (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
Data code: AA.
Nationality: Aruban(s).
Language: Papiamento, Spanish, English, Dutch (official).
Island's Capital: Oranjestad.
Population: 103,000 (2013 est.).
Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation.
The average temperature is 82° F (28° C), with cooling trade winds and the
rarity of tropical storms and hurricanes. Aruba lies outside the hurricane
belt therefore the rainfall is very moderate. The rainfall occurs mainly
in short showers during November and December.
Geography
Coastline: 68.5 km.
Geographic coordinates: 12° 31' N, 70° 02' W.
Highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m.
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela.
Size: 31 km x 8 km, 193 sq km.
Terrain: flat with a few hills; scant vegetation.
Tourist Information
Overview: Aruba is a very safe island, influenced by European
and US-American lifestyle. The climate is very healthy, making it a year-round
paradise. Aruba is a quiet island with perfect beaches and friendly people.
Arubans are famous for their friendliness and hospitality. No hustle, no
bustle, no beach vendors and nearly no crime. So it's no wonder that Aruba
has one of the highest rates of repeat visitors anywhere in the Caribbean.
Accommodations: The majority of hotels are in the Palm Beach
and Eagle Beach resort area on the southwest coast, offering accommodation
of a very high standard and price. There are no cheap guest houses, but
apartments and luxury villas are available to rent.
Activities: swiming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, surfing,
wind surfing, kite surfing, deep sea fishing, golf.
Average tourist arrivals: 812,623 (2009).
Electricity: 110-120 volts AC on 60 cycles.
Entry Requirements: Citizens of the E.C., U.S.A and Canada are
allowed to visit Aruba as a tourist for up to 180 days.
Extension of stay: at the Departamento di Integracion, Maneho
y Admision di Stranhero (DIMAS), Wilhelminastraat 31-33,
Oranjestad, Aruba.
Sleep: Aruba is general quiet at night, except close to highways.
The traffic is quite high.
Telephone: modern fully automatic telecommunications system.
country code is 297.
Time: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time).
Money
Cost of living: Food prices are higher than in Europe.
Credit cards: widely accepted in hotels, shops and supermarkets.
Many apartments are asking for cash money.
Currency: Aruban guilder/florin (AWG). Fixed at 1.79 per US dollar.
Tipping and Taxes: Airport Departure Tax is US$ 34.25. There
is a Government tax of 5%. In restaurants, the "tax" on your bill is usually
the tax plus a 10%-15% service charge. Be careful not to over tip by thinking
this is really all tax! Hotel bills will be similar with less service charge
added in.
Transport
Airport: Reina Beatrix, Aruba International Airport, close to
town. Public buses to town are leaving in front of the airport.
Flight Times: Amsterdam 10 hours, New York's JFK 4 1/2 hours,
Puerto Rico 1 1/2 hours.
Ports and harbors: Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas.
Politics
Government type: parliamentary democracy.
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English
common law influence.
Ethnic groups: mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80%, other 20%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, other (includes
Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish) 10%.
Literacy: 97.3 % of the total population (male: 97.5%, female:
97.1%).
Economy
Agriculture-products: aloes; livestock; fish.
GDP - per capita: $25,300 (2011 est.).
Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining.
Natural resources: petroleum.
Unemployment rate: 5.7 % (2007 est.). |
