Aruba Capitals

The capital of Aruba is called Oranjestad, which means "orange town" in Dutch. It is located on the western coast of the Island. The Dutch colonized the region around Oranjestad in the mid-17th century. It was then known as the Bay of Horses because the locals would capture wild horses and sell them to the Dutch colony of Curacao. It was named after King Willem van Oranje-Nassau after gold was discovered in the area. It is often called “Playa” in the local language of Papiamento.

The population of Oranjestad is estimated to be around 30,000 people. About 80% of the population Oranjestad report a mixture of white, black or Indigenous Caribbean ancestry. Other ethnicities comprise 20% of the whole population. With a high standard of living, Oranjestad has attracted many immigrants from all over the world. There are some from South America, Europe, other Caribbean islands, Africa and even China. In all, more than 90 nationalities are represented in the nation of Aruba.

There are many tourist activities in Oranjestad. Conventional activities include sailing, snorkel and even hoverboarding. Fort Zoutman, the oldest building on the island, is also a major tourist draw. It was built in 1798 by the Dutch to ward off attacks. It was restored and reopened in 1983 as the Historical Museum of Aruba. Another interesting location is the Aloe Museum, which gives visitors a view into the past on how Aloe was produced in Aruba that comes with more than 160 years history of cultivation and processing

The city of Oranjestad experiences a tropical monsoon climate and has only two seasons, a wet and a dry season. The average temperature for the year is around 83.0°F. June is usually the warmest month while January is the coolest with average temperatures of 85.0°F and 81.0°F respectively. Oranjestad gets about 18.9 inches of precipitation annually. The month of November has the most precipitation at an average of 3.5 inches. March has the least precipitation at an average of 0.4 inches

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

More on Graphicmaps

Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Oranjestad
Languages	Papiamento (official) (a creole language that is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, and, to a lesser extent, French, as well as elements of African languages and the language of the Arawak) 69.4%, Spanish 13.7%, English (widely spoken) 7.1%, Dutch (official) 6.1%, Chinese 1.5%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Dutch 82.1%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 2.2%, Dominican 2.2%, Haitian 1.2%, other 5.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes Methodist 0.9%, Adventist 0.9%, Anglican 0.4%, other Protestant 2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010 est.)
Government	Parliamentary democracy (Legislature); part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Independance	None (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Area	180.00 km²
Land Area	180.00 km²
Population	113,648.00 Most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlments tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island
Location	Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela
GDP(PPP)	$2,516,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$25,300.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Colombia, the Netherlands Antilles, and the United States.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are live animals and animal products, as well as art and collectibles.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the United States and the Netherlands.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and electric equipment, refined oil, and chemicals.
Climate	Tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain	Flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Learn More	Aruba

Aruba Capitals

More on Graphicmaps

What is a Trade Embargo?

Which Two Countries Used to Have the Same Flag?

What Is the Only Two-Sided State Flag?

Which Country Flag Looks Like the Texas Flag?

Flags That Resemble the US Flag

What is Demography?