Aruba

Population: 70,007 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish

Background: 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...

Currency: Aruban guilder/florin (AWG, No information)

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.