History of Aruba in Timeline
Aruba is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea. It lies north of Venezuela and northwest of Curaçao. In 1986, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
1911: Strong El Nino Year
In 1911, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
1912: Strong El Nino Year
In 1912, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
1924: Limited Benefits of Salt Extraction
Around 1924, salt extraction at Rancho had limited benefits, primarily being used in the preservation of fish during shipping.
1924: Construction of First Oil Refinery
In 1924, the first oil refinery, Lago Oil and Transport Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil, was built in San Nicolas.
1927: Establishment of Arend Petroleum Company
In 1927, the Arend Petroleum Company was established to the west of Oranjestad, processing crude oil and boosting the island's prosperity.
1930: Strong El Nino Year
In 1930, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
1931: Strong El Nino Year
In 1931, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
1940: Oil facilities under Dutch control
In 1940, the oil facilities in Aruba came under the administration of the Dutch government-in-exile in London.
1942: German navy attack on oil facilities
In 1942, the oil facilities in Aruba, then under the administration of the Dutch government-in-exile, were attacked by the German navy.
August 1947: Formulation of Aruba's first constitution
In August 1947, Aruba formulated its first staatsreglement (constitution) for Aruba's status aparte as an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
1949: Disappearance of Paardenbaai Salt Pans
In 1949, the salt pans at Paardenbaai (Horses' Bay) disappeared beneath the sand after being dredged.
1954: Establishment of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
In 1954, the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was established, creating the Netherlands Antilles and uniting Dutch colonies in the Caribbean.
1958: Construction of the Lourdes Grotto
In 1958, the Lourdes Grotto was constructed by a priest named Erkamp and his parishioners.
1972: Croes proposes Dutch Commonwealth
In 1972, Aruban politician Betico Croes proposed creating a Dutch Commonwealth of four states: Aruba, the Netherlands, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles.
1972: Population fluctuations
In 1972, the population experienced fluctuations.
1976: Adoption of symbols of independence
In 1976, Aruba adopted the trappings of an independent state, including a flag and a national anthem, as part of the push for greater autonomy.
March 1977: Referendum on independence
In March 1977, a referendum was held, supported by the United Nations, where 82% of participants voted for complete independence from the Netherlands.
1978: Study for independence
In 1978, the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague was assigned to prepare a study for independence, entitled Aruba en Onafhankelijkheid.
1982: Strong El Nino Year
In 1982, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
March 1983: Agreement reached for Aruba's independence
In March 1983, Aruba reached an official agreement within the kingdom for its independence, to be developed in steps.
1983: Strong El Nino Year
In 1983, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
August 1985: Drafting of the 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, significantly impacting the economy and leading to a push for tourism.
January 1986: Aruba secedes from the Netherlands Antilles
On January 1, 1986, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles, officially becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
1986: Aruba becomes a constituent country
In 1986, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, acquiring the formal name the Country of Aruba.
1988: Population nearly doubled
Between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled.
1990: Postponement of full independence
In 1990, at a convention in The Hague, the governments of Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles postponed indefinitely Aruba's transition to full independence.
1990: Forest cover percentage
In 1990, forest cover was around 2% of the total land area, unchanged in 2020.
1995: Rescinding of complete independence schedule
In 1995, the article scheduling Aruba's complete independence was rescinded, though the process could be revived after another referendum.
1997: Strong El Nino Year
In 1997, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
1998: Strong El Nino Year
In 1998, Aruba experienced a strong El Niño year.
1999: U.S. Department of Defense establishes forward operating site
In 1999, the U.S. Department of Defense established a forward operating site at the airport.
2000: Sero Muskita Tool Date
Around 2000 BC, a tool found at Sero Muskita resembled one found at Arikok, suggesting occasional visits from the mainland.
2000: Establishment of Arikok National Park
In 2000, the Arikok National Park was established as formal conservation land, covering 20% of the island.
February 2001: Pre-clearance facility opens
In February 2001, U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened a full pre-clearance facility at Queen Beatrix Airport for private aircraft passengers bound for the United States.
2003: Establishment of Aruba Conservation Foundation
In 2003, the Aruba Conservation Foundation was established to oversee the conservation of protected areas.
2005: Diverse population
In 2005, Aruba was home to people from 92 different nationalities, according to the Bureau Burgelijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister (BBSB).
2006: Government debt and tax law changes
By 2006, the government's debt had grown significantly, leading to changes in tax laws to reduce the deficit.
2008: Aruba offers private flight pre-clearance
In 2008, Aruba became the only island to offer pre-clearance service for private flights bound for the United States.
2009: End of development aid from the Netherlands
Until 2009, the Netherlands granted development aid to Aruba, but this aid was discontinued at Aruba's request.
July 7, 2010: Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council
July 7, 2010: the Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council was established, but Aruba is not part of this act.
2013: No government statistics
The government has not published statistics since 2013.
2015: Reintroduction of financial supervision
Since 2015, a form of financial supervision has been reintroduced due to a sharp rise in debt to over 80% of GDP.
2016: Population nearly doubled
Between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled.
2016: Biocapacity and ecological footprint
In 2016, Aruba had a biocapacity deficit, using almost 12 times the biocapacity it contains.
2017: Population decline
In 2017, a population decline occurred, breaking almost three decades of continuous growth.
2017: GDP per capita
The GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated to be $37,500 in 2017.
2018: Labor force participation rate
At the end of 2018, the labor force participation rate was 56.6% for women.
2018: Tourism Statistics
In 2018, Aruba received 1,082,000 tourists who stayed overnight, with about 75% of the gross national product earned through tourism and related activities.
2018: Sunrise Solar Park opens
In 2018, the Sunrise Solar Park was installed and opened in Aruba.
2019: Venezuelan refugees in Aruba
In 2019, recently arrived Venezuelan refugees were estimated to number around 17,000 on Aruba, accounting for some 15% of the population.
2020: Nationality Estimates
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 percentage
In 2020, forest cover was around 2% of the total land area, unchanged since 1990.
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.
2022: Land area forest-covered
As of 2022, Aruba has 2.3% of forest-covered land area.
2022: COVID-19 pandemic
The first three years of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) also contributed to a population decrease.
2024: Population Growth
As of the 3rd quarter of 2024, the population stood at 108,027 people, marking a modest 0.4% growth compared to the previous year.
