About Aruba

Coat of Arms

Aruba is a 32 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, 27 km north of the Paraguana Peninsula, Falcon State, Venezuela. It is in 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 as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather. It has a land area of 193 km sq.

Culture

The origins of the population and location of the island give Aruba a mixed culture. Dutch influence can still be seen, as in the celebration of the "Sinterklaas " Day on December 5 and 6th, even though not much of the population is of Dutch origin. Christmas and New Year are celebrated with the typical music and songs of gaitas for Christmas and the dande for New Year, and the " ayaca ", the " ponchi crema", and other typical foods and drinks.