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Aruba - Caribbean

Overview

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Geography: Aruba is the smallest island in the Leeward group of the Dutch Caribbean islands, which also include Bonaire and Curaçao. They are popularly known as the ABCs.
As the westernmost island of the group, Aruba is the final link in the long Antillean chain, lying 20km (12.5 miles) off the Venezuelan coast.

The island is 30km (19.6 miles) long and 9km (6 miles) across at its widest and has a flat landscape dominated by Jamanota Mountain (188m/617ft).

The west and southwest coast, known as Palm Beach, boasts 11km (7 miles) of palm-fringed powder-white sands, while in complete contrast the east coast has a desolate, windswept shoreline of jagged rocks carved into weird shapes by the pounding surf.

Government: Dependency of the Netherlands. In 1986 Aruba separated from the rest of the Netherlands Antilles. Head of State: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, represented locally by Governor Olindo Koolman since 1992. Head of Government: Prime Minister Nelson Oduber since 2001.

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.

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