Aruba

Aruba
Anthem: Aruba Dushi Tera Aruba, Dear Country
Location of  Aruba  (circled in red) in the Caribbean  (light yellow)
Capital and largest city		Oranjestad 12°31′N 70°2′W
Official languages		Dutch Papiamento
Demonym		Aruban
Government		Constitutional monarchy
-	Monarch	Willem-Alexander
-	Governor	Fredis Refunjol
-	Prime Minister	Mike Eman
Legislature		Estates of Aruba
Autonomy from the Netherlands Antilles
-	Date	1 January 1986
Area
-	Total	178.91 km2 69 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2010 census	102,484
-	Density	567/km2 1,470/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$2.400 billion (182nd)
-	Per capita	$23,831 (32nd)
Currency		Aruban florin (AWG)
Time zone		AST (UTC−4)
Drives on the		right
Calling code		+297
Internet TLD		.aw

Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, it has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism, because visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather.

The island broke off from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, hoping to gain its independence by 1996. In 1990, that effort stopped at the request of the island people.

The island came into the news after U.S. high school senior Natalee Holloway disappeared on a graduation trip on May 30, 2005.