Aruba Overview

GENERAL

Capital

Oranjestad.

Geography

Aruba is part of the ABC Islands, which also include Bonaire and Curaçao. Aruba, the smallest and most western, is also the last link of the Antilles. The island is located 30 km from the coast of Venezuela, is 30 km long and nowhere wider than 9 km. From Mount Jamanota (188 m) you can look down on a largely flat landscape. The east coast with its lonely and windy rocky coast offers a charming contrast; Spray and waves have washed bizarre shapes from the rocks. According to timedictionary, Aruba is a country in Central America.

Government

Special status within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (internal independence since 1986). Constitution of 1986. Parliament (States) with 21 members elected for 4 years.

Head of state

King Willem-Alexander, represented by Governor Alfonso Boekhoudt since April 2013, since January 2017.

Head of government

Michiel Godfried Eman, since 2009.

Electricity

120 V, 60 Hz.

Time zone

Atlantic Standard Time: CET -5

Aruba Overview

MONEY

Currency

1 Aruba florin = 100 cents. Currency abbreviation: AFl, AWG (ISO code). Banknotes are in circulation in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 25 and 10 AFl. There are coins in denominations of 5, 2.5 and 1 AFl as well as 50, 25, 10 and 5 cents.

Note: The Aruba florin is pegged to the US dollar.

Credit cards

All major credit cards are accepted.
ATMs

ec / Maestro card / Sparcard:
Cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted in Europe and worldwide. Further information from banks and credit institutes.

Attention: Travelers who pay abroad with their bank customer card and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.

Bank opening times

Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1.30 p.m.-4 p.m. (sometimes also continuously).

Foreign exchange regulations

The import and export of the local currency (US $ recommended) and foreign currencies is possible without restriction, declaration is mandatory for amounts over 20,000 Aruba florins.

Currency Exchange

The US dollar is the common currency. Other foreign currencies can be exchanged in banks. There are ATMs in Oranjestad where cash can be withdrawn in local currency. Aruba Florins can only be exchanged within Aruba.

LANGUAGE

Overview

The official languages are Dutch and Papiamento. Most islanders speak at least four languages, with English and Spanish being widely spoken. Some Arubans even speak some German.

The native papiamento is a mixture of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and African and indigenous languages. Papiamento is based on a simply structured makeshift language with which the first settlers of the Caribbean islands, who came from different parts of the world, communicated with each other in the 1700 century. The grammar is simple and has few irregularities. For example, there is no gender, no distinction is made between masculine, feminine and neuter.

The Papiamentu spoken on Curaçao and Bonaire is closely related to the Aruban Papiamento. However, there are significant differences in spelling and sound.

Papiamento was suppressed for a long time by the Dutch colonial administration. For example, subsidies from the Netherlands were tied to the condition that lessons in schools were exclusively in Dutch. It was not until 2003 that Papiamento was made an official language alongside Dutch.

Idioms

  • Bread = pan
  • Thank you = thank you
  • Food = kuminda
  • Hello = Bon dia
  • I’ll see you later = Te aweró
  • Yes = Si
  • I’m fine = Mi ta bon
  • Juice = jus
  • Very good = Mashá bon
  • How are you? = Kon ta bai?
  • Welcome = Bon biní

COMMUNICATION

Phone

International direct dialing. International phone calls can be made from phone booths that are available across the island.

Phone

International direct dialing. International phone calls can be made from phone booths that are available across the island.

Cellphone

Mobile phones can be rented from SETAR (Internet: www.setar.aw) against a deposit and presentation of proof of identity. SETAR operates a GSM 900 network throughout the Netherlands Antilles. Digicel Aruba (Internet: www.digicelaruba.com) offers a GSM 900/1800 network.

Internet

The main provider is Setarnet (www.setarnet.aw). There is an internet café in Oranjestad.

Radio

Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.

CULTURE

Religion

80.8% of the population are Roman Catholic. There are also Protestants, Hindus, Muslims, Confucians and Jews.

Social rules of conduct

Manners : Arubans are very hospitable, but invitations to private homes are still rare. Most social encounters take place in a casual atmosphere in the hotels. The customs and traditions are influenced by Dutch, indigenous and African traditions. American manners and customs are on the rise. The common courtesy formulas should be observed. You shake hands in greeting.

Clothing: Casual clothing is accepted, but evening wear should be taken. Light cotton clothing is recommended. Locals don’t wear shorts in town, but they are used to them from guests. Swimwear belongs on the beach. On some hotel beaches there are zones for topless sunbathing. People often dress more elegantly when going out in the evening, especially when visiting the casinos. A jacket is not required, except for official official occasions.

Smoking: In principle, you can smoke anywhere. However, some hotels divide into smoking and non-smoking rooms. Non-smoking areas should be observed.

Tip: Hotels and restaurants usually charge 15% extra for service. A service charge of 10-15% is appropriate where this surcharge is not charged. Taxi drivers are only given tips if they help with luggage. In this case, rounding up the invoice amount by 10% is appropriate.

CLIMATE

Best travel time

The Passat cools you down at an average temperature of 28 ° C. Short rain showers can occur between October and December.

COUNTRY DATA

Area code +297 Area (sq km) 193 Population 110 663 Population density (per sq km) 573 Population in 2014 Member of the EU No main emergency number 911