![]() ![]() Gold discovered on Aruba in 1824 attracted considerable investment, but a century later the mine was exhausted. Compared with other Caribbean islands, Aruba had a rather quiet history the island was fought over only twice and suffered few pirate attacks. The Dutch, who hardly considered the island prime real estate, took over in 1636.ĭuring the Napoleonic Wars the British settled Aruba for a few years, but by 1816 the Dutch had returned to stay. Because the Spaniards considered Aruba worthless, the native Arawak Indians were spared the annihilation their kinfolk faced on islands thought more valuable. It is perhaps as much the desert landscape as the active nightlife that gives Aruba the reputation as the Las Vegas of the Caribbean.Īssessments of Aruba's worth have varied since 1499, when Alonso de Ojeda claimed the island for Spain. Aruba's arid interior, marked by surreal, wind-bent divi-divi trees, sprawling stands of cactus and aloe vera, and huge boulders strewn like marbles contrasts sharply with the more tropical, palm-lined southwest coast. Just 15 miles (24 km) north of Venezuela, it has an exceptionally dry climate that is considered one of the most desirable in the Caribbean. Aruba is the smallest and most westerly of the “ABC” (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) islands.
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