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History and Culture
 The
first people to inhabit the island were a nation of
Arawak Indians called the Caiquetios who migrated north
from the Orinoco Basin in South America and settled here
approximately 2,000 years ago. Remnants of their culture
can still be found at a number of different sites around
the island: pottery, earthenware, and other artifacts at
the Archeological Museum in Oranjestad and at the
Historical Museum of Aruba
at Fort Zoutman and William III Tower; and cave drawings
and petroglyphs in the Fontein and Guadiriki Caves and
at
Arikok National Park.
I n
1499, the Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda made his way
to this remote corner of the Caribbean Basin and laid
claim to the territory for Queen Isabella. According to
one tradition, he christened the place Oro Hubo meaning
there was gold there, but the name Aruba seems to have
derived instead from the Arawak Indian word oibubai
which means guide. In any event, the Spanish made little
use of the island, finding the climate too arid for
cultivation and discovering little evidence of the gold
they were eagerly searching for. For the most part, they
abandoned Aruba to the Caiquetios for the next 150 years
and devoted themselves to other more lucrative
conquests. Before long, however, the island became a
clandestine hide-away for pirates and buccaneers who
preyed on ships transporting Indian treasures back to
the Old World. At
Bushiribana
on the northeast coast, the
ruins of an old pirate castle still remain standing.
In
1636,
Aruba once again came to the attention of Europeans. The
Dutch, who had recently been expelled by the Spanish
from their base in St.Maarten, set out looking for
another place to establish a colonial presence. They
soon captured the islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire
from the Spanish who, in truth, put up very little
resistance. Curacao became the administrative capital
for the Dutch West India Company in the Netherlands
Antilles, with Aruba operating as one of its chief
satellites. From this early period dates the
construction of the historic fortress Fort Zoutman and
William III Tower, which is the oldest building in the
country. Except for a short period from 1805 to 1815
when the island fell to the British during the
Napoleonic Wars, Aruba has remained under Dutch control
ever since.
 The
year 1824
saw the
discovery of gold near Bushiribana. The
ruins of a nineteenth-century smelting
plant still survive in Balashi northwest
of the Spanish Lagoon near the center of
the island. The gold rush continued
until 1916 when the mines finally became
so unprofitable that they had to be shut
down. Not long afterwards, however, in
1924, another valuable commodity
replaced it, black gold --oil. Aruba
became home to one of the world's
largest refineries. The strength of the
economic boom that followed made San
Nicholas into a major commercial center
and the island's second largest city. To
this day, Aruba's two main industries
have been oil and tourism, and when the
refineries were closed down in 1985 due
to the worldwide glut in petroleum, the
emphasis on tourism became especially
important. Even after oil refining was
resumed in 1991, the island continued to
invest heavily in tourist development,
and new projects are still going on all
the time.
Language can be seen as an important
part of island culture in Aruba. The
cultural mixture has given rise to a
linguistic mixture known as
Papiamento,
the predominant language on Aruba. The
two official languages are the
Dutch language
and Papiamento. Papiamento is a language
that has been evolving through the
centuries and absorbed many words from
other languages like Dutch, English,
diverse African dialects, and most
importantly, from Portuguese and
Spanish. However, like many islands in
the region, Spanish is also often
spoken. English has historical
connections
(with the
British Empire)
and is known by many; English usage has
also grown due to tourism. Other common
languages spoken based on the size of
their community are Portuguese, Chinese,
German and French. The latter is offered
in high school and college, since a high
percentage of Aruban students continue
their studies in Europe.
In recent years, the government of Aruba
has shown an increased interest in
acknowledging the cultural and
historical importance of its native
language. Although spoken Papiamento is
fairly similar among the several
Papiamento-speaking islands, there is a
big difference in written Papiamento.
The orthography differs per island and
even per group of people. Some are more
oriented towards the Portuguese roots
and use the equivalent spelling (e.g.
"y" instead of "j"), where others are
more oriented towards the Dutch roots.In
a book The Buccaneers of America
first published in 1678, is stated by
eyewitness account that the Indians on
Aruba spoke "Spanish". The oldest
government official statement written in
Papiamento dates from 1803.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruba
for information
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Aruba
is a generally flat, riverless island in
the
Leeward Antilles
island arc of the
Lesser Antilles.
Aruba is renowned for its white, sandy
beaches on the western and southern
coasts of the island, relatively
sheltered from fierce ocean currents.
The northern and eastern coasts, lacking
this protection, are considerably more
battered by the sea and have been left
largely untouched by humans. The
interior of the island features some
rolling hills, the better two of which
are called
Hooiberg
at 165
meters (541 ft)
and
Mount Jamanota,
the highest on the island at 188 metres
(617 ft) above
sea level.
Oranjestad,
the capital, is located at
 12°19′N,
70°1′W.
To the
east of Aruba are
Bonaire
and
Curaçao,
two island
territories which form the southwest
part of the
Netherlands
Antilles;
Aruba and these two Netherlands Antilles
islands are sometimes called the
ABC islands.
The
isothermal
temperature
of Aruba's pleasantly tropical marine
climate
attracts
tourists to the island all year round.
Temperature varies little from 28 °C
(82 °F),
moderated by constant
trade winds
from the
Atlantic Ocean.
Yearly precipitation barely reaches 500 mm
(19.7 in),
most of it falling in late autumn.
Most
tourist hotels are located on the
leeward side of the island, providing
better weather and enjoyment of beaches
and ocean.
PLACE TO LOOK AT WHILE IN ARUBA
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Aruba has one of the highest
rates of repeat visitors
anywhere in the Caribbean. What
continues to draw people back
over and over again is the great
pride and care that Arubans take
to ensure that tourists have
everything they could possibly
need to make their stay both
enjoyable and exciting. Arubans
are famous for their
friendliness and hospitality.
The climate is perpetually sunny
and welcoming, and great care
has been taken to preserve and
enhance the natural beauty of
the environment.
The tourist industry here is
extremely well-organized,
developed, and diversified,
catering to a wide variety of
different interests. Those who
prefer privacy can find a
secluded stretch of
beach
or go exploring through the
countryside
on their own, while those who
are more outgoing can take
advantage of Aruba's vibrant
nightlife,
the
casinos,
the discotheques, the different
theme parties, the music and
folkloric festivals. Those
interested in another kind of
wildlife can go
bird-watching in a protected
sanctuary
or take a tour of a coconut
plantation or hike through the
Arikok
National Park
tracking the island's exotic
flora and fauna.
Sports enthusiasts can go
scuba-diving
in any of the 42 different
diving sites, engage the
incredible island winds by
windsurfing,
rent water-skis or parasails, or
charter a boat and go deep-sea
fishing. The island offers two
golf
courses,
one of which is professional
caliber, an ATP sanctioned
tennis center, racquetball
courts, trails to go horseback
riding, even several bowling
alleys. The different
hotels
provide a whole range of
activities for singles,
honeymoon couples, and families
with children. Whatever kind of
vacation you are looking for,
the odds are you will be able to
find it in Aruba.
Beaches
The
southern, leeward coast is lined
with beautiful, sparkling white
sand and is commonly known as
the Turquoise Coast for the
colorful tint of the water.
There are many secluded sections
of private beach or more popular
strips by the hotels. Baby Beach
down at the eastern tip is a
natural wading pool that is
perfect for families with small
children. The northern coast is
more rugged and windswept and
can be dangerous for swimming.
There are many comfortable,
charming and exciting nightspots
in Aruba with dancing,
entertainment, and lively
action-filled casinos. Most of
the hotels have their own
special night of entertainment.
Tropical nights, beach barbecues
and cocktail parties are always
available. Attractions at the
hotels and nightclubs feature
water ballet, international
entertainers, fashion shows,
local dance groups, limbo and
fire dances, steelbands, discos
and the pulsating beat of local
bands. The action in the
casinos
is constant and the atmosphere
charged with excitement and
expectation. There are many
relaxing activities for those
who prefer a slower paced
evening; a tropical drink on a
moonlit patio under a star
studded sky, a quiet stroll on a
peaceful beach or dinner in a
quiet restaurant.
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 There
is
plenty
of
wonderful
diving
to be
enjoyed
on
Aruba,
particularly
along
its
sheltered
southwestern
coastline.
A large
number
of
outstanding
dive
sites,
some of
which
are
listed
below,
have
been
charted,
and
there
are
several
very
good
dive
operators
on the
island.
Aruba is
currently
working
to
preserve
the
ecological
health
of its
many
stunning
reefs.
The
island's
leading
ecological
groups
have
begun a
number
of
preservation
and
educational
programs,
including
the
installation
of
dozens
of
mooring
buoys, a
popular
reef
clean-up
program
(in
which
divers
are
welcome
to
participate),
and has
established
a
protected
underwater
park.
THE
GEOGRAPHY
STANDARDS
THAT YOU
CAN
APPLIED
FOR
ARUBA...
STANDARD
1
:
HOW TO
USE MAPS
AND
OTHER
GEOGRAPHIC
REPRESENTATION
TOOLS.
STANDARD
2
: HOW TO
USE
MENTAL
MAPS.
STANDARD
5
: PEOPLE
CREATE
REGIONS
TO
INTREPID
EARTH
SCIENCE.
STANDARD
6
: HOW
CULTURE
AND
EXPERIENCE
INFLUENCE
PEOPLE
PERCEPTION
OF PLACE
AND
REGIONS.
QUIZ ON
ARUBA
1) Who
was the
first
people
to
inhabit
the
island
Aruba ?
2)
what is
Aruba
population
?
3) What
city is
North of
the
capital
?
4) What
is the
isothermal
temperature
of Aruba
?
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