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Aruba, an island slightly larger than Washington, DC, lies 18 mi (28.9 km) off the coast lineof Venezuela in the southern Caribbean. It is noted that the Arawak Indians were the originalinhabitants of Aruba.

Spain explored the island in 1499, and more than a century later the Netherlands (1636) claimed the island. Soon after a brief rule by the British, the Dutch again took control of the island in 1816, and it officially transformed to a part of the Netherlands Antilles in 1845.

On Jan. 1, 1986, Aruba seceded from the federation, but it made a decision in 1994 to postpone indefinitely the transition to complete independence. Did you know that the Netherlands controls Aruba's defense and foreign affairs, but all internal affairs are and have always been handled by an island government directing its own civil service, judiciary, revenue, and currency.

This small island off the coast of Venezuela is purported to have members of the Arawak tribe as its first settlers as early as 1000 AD. Made known to Europeans through the explorations of Amerigo Vespucci and Alonso de Oieda in the late 15th century, Aruba was quickly colonized by Spain. After a century of governance by the Spanish, Aruba came under Dutch rule in 1636 and was known as “New Netherland” for several years. While Aruba petitioned for autonomy from The Netherlands as early as 1933, it was not granted official independent status as a country of the Kingdom of The Netherlands until 1986.

Due to Atlantic trade winds, the average temperature rarely wavers from 82 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. This temperate climate, combined with little threat of hurricanes, makes Aruba a popular vacation destination. The annual rainfall is less than sixteen inches; usually in short bursts during November and December. Situated twelve degrees north of the Equator, one would assume that Aruba’s climate would be tropical, but the lack of precipitation and warm weather classifies Aruba as semi-arid. This is evident by the small scrub and cactus flora that dots the landscape of the island.

Despite a land area of only 69 square miles, Aruba is home to over 120,000 residents. Many native Arubans can claim to be a mixture of Caquetio Indian, European, and African ancestry. The population of Aruba has boomed over the last twenty years, partly due to the gift of independent country status by The Netherlands in the 1980s and the increase of immigrants enticed by higher wages. In 2007, Aruba instituted new immigration laws limiting foreign workers to a three-year maximum residency. While citizens of Aruba hold Dutch citizenship, the Aruban government has the ability to limit the admission of Dutch citizens from The Netherlands and the Kingdom of The Netherlands to the island, allowing them to control population.