Aruba
With its seemingly endless supply of white sandy beaches and
turquoise blue waters, ARUBA is one of the more popular
Caribbean destinations for many sun-worshipers and cruise-ship
passengers. The smallest of the ABC islands, Aruba is 25km north of
Venezuela and only 30km wide. Over one million visitors a year come
to this tiny island of 90,000 to indulge in the glitz associated
with its luxurious beachside resorts, elegant restaurants, 24-hour
casinos, shops and boutiques. The harbourside capital
Oranjestad attracts many of the visitors, as do
resort-filled Eagle and Palm beaches just north of
town. In stark contrast to these glamorous areas, the rugged
interior is dotted with stands of cacti, twisted divi divi trees
and herds of wandering goats. In the Mars-like landscape of
Arikok National Park , mysterious boulders painted with
ancient petroglyphs and limestone caves are sights not to be
missed.
Gold was discovered here in 1824, but the real economic boom
began in the early 1900s when oil was discovered off the coast of
Venezuela and a refinery was built here in San Nicolas .
After its decline in the 1980s, the Aruban government launched a
new initiative, focusing its attention on large-scale tourism.
Seeking more independence and greater control of its finances,
Aruba gained s tatus aparte in 1986, thus allowing Arubans
to have their own parliament, flag, currency and more freedom in
their internal affairs than their counterparts in the Netherlands
Antilles. Today more than half of the population is employed by the
flourishing tourism industry and Arubans enjoy a higher standard of
living than those living on many other islands in the
Caribbean.
Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustee for its authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved.
The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd.