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. It became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986 and is formally known as the Country of Aruba.

1911: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1911, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

1912: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1912, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

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: Construction of the first oil refinery

In 1924, the first oil refinery, Lago Oil and Transport Company, in San Nicolas was built as a subsidiary of Standard Oil.

1927: Establishment of the Arend Petroleum Company

In 1927, the Arend Petroleum Company was established to the west of Oranjestad, bringing greater prosperity to the island by processing crude oil from Venezuelan oil fields.

1930: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1930, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

1931: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1931, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

1933: High rainfall during La Niña year

In the La Niña year of 1933, Aruba experienced over 1,000 millimetres or 39 inches of rainfall.

1934: High rainfall during La Niña year

In the La Niña year of 1934, Aruba experienced over 1,000 millimetres or 39 inches of rainfall.

1940: Oil facilities under Dutch government-in-exile

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 by German navy on oil facilities

In 1942, the oil facilities in Aruba were attacked by the German navy.

August 1947: Formulation of Aruba's 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.

1949: Paardenbaai salt pans disappeared

Up until 1949, Paardenbaai (Horses' Bay) contained salt pans. In 1949 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, creating the Netherlands Antilles.

1958: Construction of the Lourdes Grotto

In 1958, the Lourdes Grotto was constructed by a priest named Erkamp and his parishioners, featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary.

1970: High rainfall during La Niña year

In the La Niña year of 1970, Aruba experienced over 1,000 millimetres or 39 inches of rainfall.

1971: High rainfall during La Niña year

In the La Niña year of 1971, Aruba experienced over 1,000 millimetres or 39 inches of rainfall.

1972: Population fluctuations began in 1972

From 1972, the population experienced fluctuations influenced by net migration.

1972: Proposal for a Dutch Commonwealth of four states

In 1972, 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, Aruba adopted 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, where 82% of participants voted for complete independence from the Netherlands.

1978: Publication of "Aruba en Onafhankelijkheid"

In 1978, the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague prepared a study for independence, entitled Aruba en Onafhankelijkheid, achtergronden, modaliteiten, en mogelijkheden; een rapport in eerste aanleg.

1982: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1982, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of 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.

1983: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1983, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

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, significantly impacting the economy and leading to an increased focus on tourism.

January 1986: Aruba secedes from the Netherlands Antilles

On 1 January 1986, Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles, officially becoming a country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

1986: Aruba becomes a constituent country

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

1988: Aruba at the Olympic Games

Aruba has competed at the Olympic Games since 1988. The most popular sports in Aruba are football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball, as well as beach sports.

1988: Population nearly doubled between 1988 and 2016

Between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled.

1988: High rainfall during La Niña year

In the La Niña year of 1988, Aruba experienced over 1,000 millimetres or 39 inches of rainfall.

1989: High rainfall during La Niña year

In the La Niña year of 1989, Aruba experienced over 1,000 millimetres or 39 inches of rainfall.

1990: Forest cover unchanged since 1990

As of 1990, forest cover was around 2% of the total land area.

1990: Postponement of Aruba's transition to 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.

1995: Rescinding of the article scheduling Aruba's complete 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: Full independence was planned for Aruba

In 1996, full independence was planned for Aruba, though it was later postponed indefinitely.

1997: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1997, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

1998: Low rainfall during El Niño year

In the El Niño year of 1998, Aruba experienced as little as 150 millimetres or 6 inches of rainfall.

1999: Establishment of U.S. Department of Defense forward operating site

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

2000: Dating of a tool found at Sero Muskita

Around 2000 BC, a tool found at Sero Muskita was determined to be of similar shape and finishing technique to 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: U.S. Customs pre-clearance facility opens

On February 1, 2001, a full pre-clearance facility of the United States Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened at Queen Beatrix Airport for private aircraft passengers bound for the United States, coinciding with the airport's expansion.

2003: Establishment of the Aruba Conservation Foundation

In 2003, the Aruba Conservation Foundation was established to oversee the management of the conservation of protected areas.

2005: Aruba's diverse population

According to the Bureau Burgelijke Stand en Bevolkingsregister (BBSB), Civil Registry and Population Register, in 2005, the island of Aruba was home to people from 92 different nationalities.

2006: Changes in tax laws to reduce the deficit

By 2006, the government's debt had grown. 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 becomes the only island with pre-clearance for private flights

Since 2008, Aruba has been the only island to offer the service of full pre-clearance for private flights bound for the United States.

2009: Netherlands discontinues development aid to Aruba

In 2009, the Netherlands discontinued development aid to Aruba at Aruba's request. This aid had primarily supported law enforcement, education, administrative development, health care, and sustainable economic development.

July 7, 2010: Kingdom Act on the Law Enforcement Council

On July 7, 2010 Aruba diverged from legal protections from the rest of the Kingdom of the Netherlands by not being part of the Law Enforcement Council.

2013: Government hasn't published statistics

Since 2013, the government has not published statistics

2015: Financial supervision reintroduced

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

2016: Population nearly doubled between 1988 and 2016

Between 1988 and 2016, the population nearly doubled.

2016: Aruba's biocapacity deficit

In 2016, Aruba used 6.5 global hectares of biocapacity per person—their ecological footprint of consumption. This means they use almost 12 times the biocapacity that Aruba contains. This is the extent of Aruba's biocapacity deficit.

2017: Population decline after three decades of growth

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

2017: GDP per capita (PPP) estimate

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 labor force participation rate was 56.6% for women.

2018: Tourism in Aruba

In 2018, Aruba received 1,082,000 overnight tourists, with approximately 75% of the gross national product earned through tourism and related activities. Most tourists came from North America (73.3%), followed by Latin America (15.2%) and Europe (8.3%). There were 40,231 visitors from the Netherlands in 2018.

2018: Sunrise Solar Park opens

In 2018, the Sunrise Solar Park was installed and opened in Aruba. Water- en Energiebedrijf Aruba, N.V. (W.E.B.) produces and distributes potable water and power. Average daily water consumption in Aruba is about 35,600 m3 (46,500 cu. yd.) per day., and average power generation is 104 MW.

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: Forest cover unchanged since 2020

As of 2020, forest cover was around 2% of the total land area.

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: Hurricanes affecting Aruba

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

2020: Population decrease due to 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: Aruba forest covered land

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

2022: Population decrease in 2022

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 driven by immigration

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, driven by a significant rise in immigration.