History of Aruba in Timeline
Aruba is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, situated in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela and northwest of Curaçao. It became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986, officially known as the Country of Aruba.
2 days ago : Aruba Hotel Achieves Dual Perfect Green Globe Scores, Promotes Sustainable Tourism Initiatives
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort in Aruba is the only hotel to achieve dual perfect Green Globe Scores reinforcing their commitment to sustainable tourism, setting an example for others.
1911: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1911, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
1912: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1912, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
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 Lago 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. The refineries processed crude oil from the vast Venezuelan oil fields, bringing greater prosperity to the island.
1930: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1930, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
1931: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1931, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
1933: La Niña year with high rainfall
In 1933, during the La Niña year, Aruba experienced high rainfall.
1934: La Niña year with high rainfall
In 1934, during the La Niña year, Aruba experienced high rainfall.
1940: Dutch Government-in-Exile Administers Oil Facilities
In 1940, during World War II, the oil facilities in Aruba came under the administration of the Dutch government-in-exile in London.
1942: German Navy Attacks Oil Facilities
In 1942, during World War II, the oil facilities in Aruba were attacked by the German navy.
August 1947: Aruba Formulates 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, prompted by the efforts of Henny Eman.
1949: Disappearance of Salt Pans in Paardenbaai
Up until 1949, Paardenbaai (Horses' Bay) contained salt pans. It was then dredged and disappeared beneath the sand.
1954: Establishment of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
By 1954, the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was established, providing a framework for relations between Aruba and the rest of the kingdom. The Netherlands Antilles was created, uniting all of the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean into one administrative structure.
1958: Construction of Lourdes Grotto
In 1958, the Lourdes grotto was constructed by a priest named Erkamp and his parishioners.
1970: La Niña year with high rainfall
In 1970, during the La Niña year, Aruba experienced high rainfall.
1971: La Niña year with high rainfall
In 1971, during the La Niña year, Aruba experienced high rainfall.
1972: Betico Croes Proposes Dutch Commonwealth
In 1972, Aruban politician Betico Croes proposed the creation of a Dutch Commonwealth of four states: Aruba, the Netherlands, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles.
1972: Population Fluctuations Begin
Population experienced fluctuations beginning in 1972 and extending to 2022, primarily influenced by net migration.
1976: Adoption of Symbols of Independence
In 1976, Aruba adopted the trappings of an independent state with the creation of a flag and national anthem.
March 1977: Referendum on 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.
1978: Institute of Social Studies Prepares Report for Independence
In 1978, the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague was assigned 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).
1982: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1982, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
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 year with low rainfall
In 1983, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
August 1985: Drafting and Approval 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, which had provided Aruba with 30 per cent of its real income and 50 per cent of government revenue, leading to job losses and raising the unemployment rate to almost 20 per cent.
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 became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It also acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba.
1988: Population Nearly Doubles
Between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled.
1988: Olympic Games Debut
In 1988, Aruba competed at the Olympic Games for the first time.
1988: La Niña year with high rainfall
In 1988, during the La Niña year, Aruba experienced high rainfall.
1989: La Niña year with high rainfall
In 1989, during the La Niña year, Aruba experienced high rainfall.
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 unchanged
In 1990, the forest cover in Aruba was around 2% of the total land area, which was unchanged as of 2020.
1995: Rescinding of Article Scheduling 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 Full Independence
In January 1986, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles, officially becoming a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with full independence planned for 1996.
1997: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1997, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
1998: El Niño year with low rainfall
In 1998, during the El Niño year, Aruba experienced low rainfall.
1999: US Department of Defense Establishes Forward Operating Site
In 1999 the US Department of Defense established a forward operating site the airport.
2000: Estimated Date of Tools Found at Sero Muskita and Arikok
Around the year 2000 BC, tools found at Sero Muskita and Arikok are estimated to have been crafted based on finishing techniques and shape similarities, suggesting occasional visits from the mainland during that era.
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: US Pre-clearance Facility Opens
On February 1, 2001, Queen Beatrix Airport expanded and a full pre-clearance facility for private aircraft passengers bound for the United States was established 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 management of the conservation of 16 established protected areas and four Marine protected areas (MPAs).
2005: Diverse Culture
In 2005, according to the Bureau Burgelijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister (BBSB), Aruba was home to people from 92 different nationalities.
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.
2008: Aruba offers US Pre-clearance for private flights
In 2008, Aruba became the only island to offer pre-clearance service for private flights heading to the United States.
December 2009: Vader Piet Wind Farm Commissioned
In December 2009, the Vader Piet Wind Farm, the first wind farm in Aruba, was commissioned. It has a capacity of 30 MW and produces a substantial portion of Aruba's electricity.
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 in 2009.
July 2010: Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council
The Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council occurred on July 7, 2010.
2013: Government Statistics
Since 2013, the government has not published statistics.
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 Doubles
Between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled.
2016: Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint
In 2016, Aruba had 0.57 global hectares of biocapacity per person, while using 6.5 global hectares of biocapacity per person, resulting in a biocapacity deficit.
2017: GDP Per Capita
In 2017, Aruba's GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated to be $37,500.
2017: Population Decline
In 2017, a decline occurred, breaking almost three decades of continuous growth.
2018: Labor Force Participation Rate for Women
At the end of 2018, the labour force participation rate was 56.6% for women in Aruba.
2018: Tourism Statistics
In 2018, Aruba's tourism industry was thriving, with 1,082,000 tourists staying overnight. Tourism accounted for approximately 75% of the gross national product. The majority of tourists, 73.3%, came from North America, 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 Opened
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: Population Nationality Statistics
As of 2020, Aruba's 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 in terms of nationality.
2020: Forest Cover in Aruba
In 2020, forest cover in Aruba was around 2% of the total land area, equivalent to 420 hectares (ha) of forest.
2020: Island Affected by Two Hurricanes
Late in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Aruba was affected by two hurricanes in their early stages.
2020: Population Decrease
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 and Protected Natural Area in Aruba
As of 2022, Aruba only has 2.3% of forest-covered land area and only 0.5% of protected natural area.
2022: Population Fluctuations Begin
Population experienced fluctuations beginning in 1972 and extending to 2022, primarily influenced by net migration.
2025: Population Growth
As of the 1st quarter in 2025, Aruba's population stood at 108,880 people, marking a modest 0.4% growth compared to the previous year, driven by a significant rise in immigration.
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