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Area: 75 sq miles (194 sq km)
Population: 68,675
Capital city: Oranjestad (pop 20,500)
Language: Dutch, Papiamento, plus English and Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic (82%), Protestant, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim
Government: Autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Governor: Olindo Koolman
Prime Minister Henny Eman

GDP: US$1.5 billion
GDP per head: US$22,000
Inflation: 3%
Major industries: Tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining, offshore banking, phosphates
Major trading partners: USA, EU, The Netherlands, Japan

Events

Aruba's Carnival takes place over several weeks prior to Lent (usually in February). It's celebrated with children's parades, masquerades, musical competitions, plenty of dancing and a 'jump-up.' The most intense celebrations take place in Oranjestad. New Year's Day is welcomed with midnight fireworks to ward off evil spirits, while wandering minstrels serenade houses and hotels. There's a Summer Jam at the end of April with a carnival and jazz bands. The Hi-Winds Pro-Am Windsurfing Competition is held at Eagle Beach in June. In late June, there's the harvest festival of Dera Gai - it used to involve the burying of a rooster, but these days a gourd is substituted. Sint Nicolaas Day (5 December) is a Dutch transplant: Sint Nicolaas is a Santa Claus figure who arrives with his un-PC Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) who help him distribute candy and gifts to children gathered in Oranjestad.

Traveling Guidelines

Visas: Aruba is no stickler for visas. US and Canadian citizens can visit with proof of citizenship, such as a photo ID and a birth certificate. Most other nationalities require just a passport. A roundtrip or onward ticket is required of all visitors.
Health risks: Sunburn
Time: Atlantic Standard Time (GMT/UTC minus 4 hours)
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz
Weights & measures: Imperial, with some metric
Telephone: Country code 297

Ideal time to visit

The peak tourist season is between mid-December and mid-April, but this has more to do with the weather in North America and Europe than it does with the weather on Aruba. It's therefore best to visit outside this period, when you can expect room rates to be almost halved.