History of Aruba in Timeline

Aruba is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela. It became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986, officially known as the Country of Aruba.

1911: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1911, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

1912: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1912, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

1924: Limited benefits of Salt extraction at Rancho

Around 1924, salt extraction at Rancho had limited benefits, primarily being used in the preservation of fish during shipping.

1924: Lago Oil and Transport Company Construction

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 to process crude oil from Venezuelan oil fields, boosting the island's prosperity.

1930: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1930, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

1931: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1931, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

1933: High Rainfall in Aruba

In 1933, Aruba experienced one of its wettest periods, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall, during a La Niña year.

1934: High Rainfall in Aruba

In 1934, Aruba experienced one of its wettest periods, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall, during a La Niña year.

1940: Oil facilities under Dutch government-in-exile administration

In 1940, during World War II, the oil facilities in Aruba came under the administration of the Dutch government-in-exile in London.

1942: Attack on oil facilities by German navy

In 1942, during World War II, the oil facilities in Aruba were attacked by the German navy.

August 1947: Formulation of 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: Disappearance of Salt pans at Paardenbaai

Up until 1949, Paardenbaai (Horses' Bay) contained salt pans, when it was 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.

1958: Construction of the Lourdes grotto

In 1958, the Lourdes grotto, named after the famous French religious pilgrimage site, was constructed by a priest named Erkamp and his parishioners.

1970: High Rainfall in Aruba

In 1970, Aruba experienced one of its wettest periods, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall, during a La Niña year.

1971: High Rainfall in Aruba

In 1971, Aruba experienced one of its wettest periods, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall, during a La Niña year.

1972: Croes proposes a Dutch Commonwealth of four states

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.

1972: Start of population fluctuations

Since 1972, Aruba's population experienced fluctuations, primarily influenced by net migration.

1976: Adoption of symbols of an independent state

In 1976, Aruba adopted the trappings of an independent state with the creation of a flag and national anthem.

March 1977: Referendum for complete independence from the Netherlands

In March 1977, a referendum was held with the support of the United Nations where 82% of the participants voted for complete independence from the Netherlands.

1978: Institute of Social Studies prepares independence study

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.

1982: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1982, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

March 1983: Official agreement for Aruba's independence

In March 1983, Aruba reached an official agreement within the kingdom for its independence, to be developed in steps as the Crown granted increasing autonomy.

1983: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1983, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

August 1985: Drafting of Aruba's 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, resulting in a significant blow to the economy, and tourism was boosted to compensate.

January 1986: Aruba secedes from the Netherlands Antilles

On January 1, 1986, 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 within the Kingdom of the Netherlands

In 1986, Aruba officially became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and adopted the formal name 'the Country of Aruba'.

1988: Start of population doubling

Between 1988 and 2016, the population of Aruba nearly doubled.

1988: High Rainfall in Aruba

In 1988, Aruba experienced one of its wettest periods, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall, during a La Niña year.

1988: Aruba competes at the Olympic Games

Since 1988, Aruba has been competing at the Olympic Games.

1989: High Rainfall in Aruba

In 1989, Aruba experienced one of its wettest periods, receiving over 1,000 millimeters of rainfall, during a La Niña year.

1990: Forest cover in Aruba

In 1990, Forest cover in Aruba was around 2% of the total land area, equivalent to 420 hectares (ha) of forest.

1990: Postponement of Aruba's transition to full independence

In 1990, at a convention in The Hague, Aruba, the Netherlands, and the Netherlands Antilles postponed indefinitely Aruba's transition to full independence.

1995: Rescinding of Aruba's scheduled independence

In 1995, the article scheduling Aruba's complete independence was rescinded, but the process could be revived after another referendum.

1996: Planned full independence year for Aruba

In January 1986 Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles, with full independence planned for 1996.

1997: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1997, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

1998: Low Rainfall in Aruba

In 1998, Aruba experienced one of its driest periods, receiving only 150 millimeters of rainfall, during a strong El Niño year.

1999: US Department of Defense establishes forward operating site

In 1999, the US Department of Defense established a forward operating site at the airport.

2000: Dating of tools found at Sero Muskita

Around 2000 BC, tools found at Sero Muskita resembled those at Arikok, suggesting the island was visited from the mainland at this time.

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 at Queen Beatrix Airport

Since February 1, 2001, Queen Beatrix Airport has an operational US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facility for private aircraft passengers heading to the United States.

2003: Establishment of the Aruba Conservation Foundation

In 2003, the Aruba Conservation Foundation was established, overseeing the conservation of 16 established protected areas.

2005: Diversity of Nationalities in Aruba

According to the Bureau Burgelijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister (BBSB), in 2005, Aruba was home to people from 92 different nationalities.

2006: Government debt rises

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 becomes the only island with pre-clearance service for private flights

In 2008, Aruba became the only island offering pre-clearance service for private flights bound for the United States.

2009: Discontinuation of development aid from the Netherlands

In 2009, development aid to Aruba from the Netherlands was discontinued at Aruba's request.

July 2010: Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council

Divergent Legal Protections from the rest of the Kingdom of the Netherlands include not being part of the Law Enforcement Council (Raad van de Rechtshandhaving), which is a legal entity based on the Kingdom Act of the 7 July 2010 the Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council.

2013: Last publication of unemployment statistics

Until 2013, the government has not published unemployment statistics.

2015: Reintroduction of financial supervision

Since 2015, a form of financial supervision has been reintroduced in Aruba because debt has risen sharply to over 80% of GDP.

2016: End of population doubling

Between 1988 and 2016, the population of Aruba nearly doubled.

2016: Ecological footprint of consumption

In 2016, Aruba used 6.5 global hectares of biocapacity per person—their ecological footprint of consumption, meaning they use almost 12 times the biocapacity that Aruba contains.

2017: GDP per capita estimation

In 2017, The GDP per capita (PPP) was estimated to be $37,500.

2017: Decline of population

In 2017, a decline occurred in Aruba, breaking almost three decades of continuous growth.

2018: Labour force participation rate for women

At the end of 2018, the labour force participation rate was 56.6% for women in Aruba.

2018: Tourism Industry Statistics

In 2018, Aruba's tourism industry saw 1,082,000 overnight tourists, contributing to about 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 Aruba 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: Population nationality

As of 2020, the population nationality 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: Population decrease due to COVID-19 pandemic

From 2020-2022, the first three years of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a population decrease in Aruba, mainly due to reduced births and emigration.

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: Hurricanes affect Aruba

Late in the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Aruba was affected by two hurricanes in their early stages.

2022: Forest cover in Aruba

As of 2022, Aruba only has 2.3% of forest-covered land area and only 0.5% of protected natural area.

2022: End of population decrease due to COVID-19 pandemic