Aruba, located some 15 miles off Venezuela, shares with its Caribbean counterparts a heritage of Arawak Indian settlement.  In 1499, Spanish explorer Alonso de Ojeda set foot on the island and claimed it for Spain.  The island changed hands several times as European powers fought for possession of the newly discovered Caribbean islands.  In 1636, the Dutch took control, and except for a brief period of English domination (1805-1816), Aruba remained under Dutch rule.

At first settlement was not allowed on the island, but from the late 1700s Europeans began to arrive.  Venezuelan migration also occurred in the 19^th century.  Gold mining commenced in 1824, and after that industry was exhausted, the country developed aloe  as a major cash crop.  In the 1920s oil was discovered, and with it came an influx of American workers and investors.

Aruba therefore has a hearty mix of cultures, giving the island a cosmopolitan feel.  The capital city of Oranjestad is named for the House of Orange, the ruling house of the Netherlands.

For over 300 years, Aruba remained part of the Netherland Antilles, a joint association with neighbouring islands Bonaire and Curacao. However, in 1986, the island separated from the Netherland Antilles and is now a self-governing island of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.  It has its own Governor, who is a representative of the Queen of the Netherlands.

Tourism came to Aruba in the 1960s and is now the major industry in Aruba.