History of Aruba in Timeline
Aruba is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea. Situated north of Venezuela and northwest of Curaçao, it gained constituent country status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986, officially becoming the Country of Aruba.
1911: El Niño years
In 1911/1912, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
1912: El Niño years
In 1911/1912, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
1924: Limited benefits of salt extraction at Rancho
Around 1924, salt extraction at Rancho had limited benefits and was primarily used in the preservation of fish during shipping.
1924: Construction of Lago Oil and Transport Company
In 1924, the first oil refinery, Lago Oil and Transport Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil, was built in San Nicolas.
1927: Establishment of the Arend Petroleum Company
In 1927, the Arend Petroleum Company was established to the west of Oranjestad, processing crude oil from Venezuelan oil fields, which brought greater prosperity to the island.
1930: El Niño years
In 1930/1931, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
1931: El Niño years
In 1930/1931, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
1933: La Niña years
In 1933/1934, during La Niña years, rainfall was over 1,000 millimetres.
1934: La Niña years
In 1933/1934, during La Niña years, rainfall was over 1,000 millimetres.
1940: Oil facilities under administration of Dutch government-in-exile
In 1940, the oil facilities in Aruba came under the administration of the Dutch government-in-exile in London.
1942: Attack by the German navy
In 1942, the oil facilities in Aruba were attacked by the German navy.
August 1947: Aruba formulated its first staatsreglement
In August 1947, Aruba formulated its first staatsreglement (constitution) for Aruba's status aparte as an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, prompted by the efforts of Henny Eman.
1949: Salt pans disappeared beneath the sand
Up until 1949, Paardenbaai (Horses' Bay) contained salt pans, but they were dredged and disappeared beneath the sand.
1954: Establishment of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
In 1954, the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was established, providing a framework for relations between Aruba and the rest of the kingdom and creating the Netherlands Antilles.
1958: Construction of the Lourdes grotto
In 1958, the Lourdes grotto was constructed by priest Erkamp and his parishioners, featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary.
1970: La Niña years
In 1970/1971, during La Niña years, rainfall was over 1,000 millimetres.
1971: La Niña years
In 1970/1971, during La Niña years, rainfall was over 1,000 millimetres.
1972: Fluctuations in population
From 1972 the population experienced fluctuations, primarily influenced by net migration.
1972: Betico Croes proposed the creation of a Dutch Commonwealth
In 1972, at a conference in Suriname, Aruban politician Betico Croes proposed the creation of a Dutch Commonwealth of four states: Aruba, the Netherlands, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles.
1976: Adoption of symbols of an independent state
In 1976, Betico Croes sought greater autonomy for Aruba, with the long-term goal of independence, adopting the trappings of an independent state with the creation of a flag and national anthem.
March 1977: Referendum for complete independence
In March 1977, a referendum was held with the support of the United Nations. 82% of the participants voted for complete independence from the Netherlands. Tensions mounted as Croes stepped up the pressure on the Dutch government by organising a general strike in 1977.
1978: Study for independence
Croes later met with Dutch Prime Minister Joop den Uyl, with the two sides agreeing to assign the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague to prepare a study for independence, entitled Aruba en Onafhankelijkheid, achtergronden, modaliteiten, en mogelijkheden; een rapport in eerste aanleg (Aruba and independence, backgrounds, modalities, and opportunities; a preliminary report) (1978).
1982: El Niño years
In 1982/1983, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
March 1983: Official agreement for independence
In March 1983 Aruba reached an official agreement within the kingdom for its independence, to be developed in a series of steps as the Crown granted increasing autonomy.
1983: El Niño years
In 1982/1983, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
August 1985: Drafting of a constitution
In August 1985, Aruba drafted a constitution that was unanimously approved.
1985: Closure of Aruba's oil refinery
In 1985, Aruba's oil refinery closed, which had provided a significant portion of Aruba's income and government revenue. This led to a push for increased tourism.
January 1986: Aruba secedes from the Netherlands Antilles
On 1 January 1986, after the 1985 general election was held for its first parliament, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles, officially becoming a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with full independence planned for 1996.
1986: Aruba becomes a constituent country
In 1986, Aruba officially became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and adopted the formal name the Country of Aruba.
1988: Aruba Competes at the Olympic Games
Aruba began competing at the Olympic Games in 1988.
1988: Population nearly doubled
Between 1988 and 2016, the population of Aruba nearly doubled.
1988: La Niña years
In 1988/1989, during La Niña years, rainfall was over 1,000 millimetres.
1989: La Niña years
In 1988/1989, during La Niña years, rainfall was over 1,000 millimetres.
1990: Postponement of transition to full independence
At a convention in The Hague in 1990, the governments of Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles postponed indefinitely Aruba's transition to full independence.
1990: Forest cover remained unchanged
From 1990, the forest cover in Aruba remained unchanged, with approximately 420 hectares of forest area.
1995: Rescinding of article scheduling Aruba's independence
In 1995, the article scheduling Aruba's complete independence was rescinded, although it was decided that the process could be revived after another referendum.
1996: Planned date for full independence
In 1996, full independence for Aruba was planned, however, it was later postponed.
1997: El Niño years
In 1997/1998, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
1998: El Niño years
In 1997/1998, during strong El Niño years, Aruba remained dry with rainfall of as little as 150 millimetres.
1999: US Department of Defense established a forward operating site
In 1999 the US Department of Defense established a forward operating site the airport.
2000: Dating of tool found at Sero Muskita
Around 2000 BC, a tool found at Sero Muskita was dated, resembling one found at Arikok, suggesting possible visits from the mainland. In total, 33 archaic age sites have been identified on Aruba.
2000: Establishment of Arikok National Park
In 2000, Arikok National Park was established as formal conservation land, covering 20% of the island.
February 2001: US Customs Pre-clearance Facility Opens
On February 1, 2001, Queen Beatrix Airport expanded to include a full pre-clearance facility for private aircraft passengers bound for the United States, operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection.
2003: Establishment of the Aruba Conservation Foundation
In 2003, the Aruba Conservation Foundation was established to oversee the conservation of protected areas, encompassing nearly 25% of the island's surface.
2005: Diverse Nationalities in Aruba
In 2005, Aruba was home to people from 92 different nationalities, according to the Bureau Burgelijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister (BBSB, Civil Registry and Population Register).
2006: Government debt and tax law changes
By 2006, the government's debt had grown to 1.883 billion Aruban florins. In 2006, the government changed several tax laws to reduce the deficit, converting direct taxes to indirect taxes as proposed by the International Monetary Fund.
2008: Aruba: the only island to have pre-clearance service for private flights
Since 2008, Aruba has been the only island to offer pre-clearance service for private flights bound for the United States.
2009: Discontinuation of development aid from the Netherlands
Until 2009, the Netherlands granted development aid to Aruba, mainly for law enforcement, education, administrative development, health care and sustainable economic development. This aid was discontinued at Aruba's request in 2009.
July 2010: Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council
As of July 7, 2010, based on the Kingdom Act of the 7 July 2010 the Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council, Aruba is not part of the Law Enforcement Council (Raad van de Rechtshandhaving),. Aruba is also the only country in the kingdom that does not have an ombudsman.
2013: Government has not published statistics
Unemployment is low (although the government has not published statistics since 2013) and per capita income is one of the highest in the Caribbean.
2015: Reintroduction of financial supervision
Since 2015, a form of financial supervision has been reintroduced because debt has risen sharply to over 80% of GDP.
2016: Population nearly doubled
Between 1988 and 2016, the population of Aruba nearly doubled.
2016: Aruba's biocapacity deficit
In 2016, Aruba used 6.5 global hectares of biocapacity per person, meaning they use almost 12 times the biocapacity that Aruba contains, representing a significant biocapacity deficit.
2017: Decline in population
In 2017, a decline in population occurred, breaking almost three decades of continuous growth.
2017: GDP per capita (PPP) estimated
In 2017, the GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated to be $37,500 in Aruba.
2018: Labor force participation rate for women
At the end of 2018, the labour force participation rate was 56.6% for women.
2018: Tourism Industry Statistics
In 2018, Aruba's tourism industry saw 1,082,000 tourists staying overnight, contributing to 75% of the gross national product. North America accounted for 73.3% of tourists, followed by Latin America with 15.2% and Europe with 8.3%. There were 40,231 visitors from the Netherlands in 2018.
2018: Sunrise Solar Park Opens
The Sunrise Solar Park was installed and opened in 2018.
2019: Arrival of Venezuelan refugees
In 2019, recently arrived Venezuelan refugees were estimated to number around 17,000 on Aruba, accounting for some 15% of the population.
2020: Nationality of the population
As of 2020, the population is estimated to be 78.7% Dutch, 6.6% Colombian, 5.5% Venezuelan, 2.8% Dominican; 1.3% Haitian, and 5.1% from other backgrounds.
2020: Forest cover in Aruba
In 2020, the forest cover in Aruba was around 2% of the total land area, equivalent to 420 hectares (ha) of forest.
2020: Impact of hurricanes
Late in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Aruba was affected by two hurricanes in their early stages.
2020: COVID-19 pandemic
The first three years of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) also contributed to a population decrease, mainly due to reduced births and emigration.
2022: Forest-covered land area
As of 2022, Aruba only has 2.3% of forest-covered land area and only 0.5% of protected natural area.
2022: COVID-19 pandemic
The first three years of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) also contributed to a population decrease, mainly due to reduced births and emigration.
2024: Population growth
As of the 3rd quarter in 2024, the population stood at 108,027 people, marking a modest 0.4% growth compared to the previous year due to a significant rise in immigration.
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