Aruba Travel Guide

Aruba — Country and Tourist Information

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Country Facts

Location: South Caribbean.
Language: The official language is Dutch. English and Spanish are also spoken. The islanders also speak Papiamento, which is a combination of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, English and Indian languages.
Area: 193 sq km (74.5 sq miles).
Time Zone: GMT - 4.
Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60Hz.
Population: 1,010,541 (2008).
Population Density: 526 per sq km.
Capital City: Oranjestad. Population: 30,000 (2005).
Government: Dependency of the Netherlands. In 1986 Aruba separated from the rest of the Netherlands Antilles.
Head of Government: Prime Minister Nelson Oduber since 2001.
Head of State: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, represented locally by Governor-General Fredis Refunjol since 2004.
Religion: 82% of the population are Roman Catholic. There are also Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian and Jewish communities present.

Recent History

Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo (MEP) held onto its majority at the most recent poll in September 2005. Immigration and the economy dominated the campaign. Oduber has led the MEP since 1986. He was previously prime minister from 1989-1994 and won a second term in 2001.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: +297. Payphones are located all over the island. International phone cards are available from petrol stations, mini markets and supermarkets.

Mobile Telephone

Roaming agreements exist with a few mobile phone companies. Coverage is average.

Internet

Many hotels offer connections. Internet cafes are also available. Aruba has several Wi-Fi hotspots (www.wifi-aruba.com).

Media

Radio stations include Radio Kelkboom, Magic 96.5 and Canal 90; the oldest established newspaper (in Dutch) is Amigoe di Aruba; other papers include Aruba Today, Diario Aruba and Bon Dia; ATV and Tele Aruba are prime TV channels.

Post

Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1300-1630.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
25 Dec Christmas

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
25 Jan GF Croe’s Day
7 Mar Carnival Monday
18 Mar National Anthem and Flag Day
22 Apr - 25 Apr Easter
30 Apr Queen’s Birthday
1 May Labor Day
2 Jun Ascension Day
25 Dec Christmas

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
25 Jan GF Croe’s Day
20 Feb Carnival Monday
18 Mar National Anthem and Flag Day
6 Apr - 9 Apr Easter
30 Apr * Queen’s Birthday
1 May Labor Day
17 May Ascension Day
25 Dec Christmas Day
* Date to be confirmed.

Contact Information

Diplomatic Representation

Aruba is a dependency of The Netherlands and represented abroad by Royal Netherlands Embassies – see The Netherlands section for Embassy contact details. The nearest British Diplomatic Mission for the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) is the British Embassy in Caracas.