Aruba:
Geography

Click to enlarge

Pages for other countries and territories

Other pages in this profile of Aruba:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.

Location	Definition Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates	Definition 12 30 N, 69 58 W
Map references	Definition Central America and the Caribbean
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries	Definition 0 km
Coastline	Definition 68.5 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate	Definition tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain	Definition flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
Natural resources	Definition NEGL; white sandy beaches
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 10.53% permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 0.01 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards	Definition hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened
Environment - current issues	Definition NA
Geography - note	Definition a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)