When you first arrive in Aruba you are greeted by many happy people who want to help you. This small island of 77 square miles has over 93,242 people in it. This country is small yet has many things to offer in many different ways. Most of the food in Aruba is imported except for some fruits. Aruba has many languages, the official Dutch, but English and Spanish are also widely spoken on the island. The Native language is Papiamento, which was spoken by the first natives on the island. The life expectancy in Aruba for a man is 71 years and for women is 76 years. The death rate (6.0 per 1000 people) is a lot lower than the birth rate (substantially lower than the rest of the Caribbean) so the population slowly rises each year. This small country only gets approximately 20” of rain per year. The climate is usually around 81F and sunny. Because of the constant weather there isn’t usually even a weather section in the newspaper! The city has no drainage so when it rains a lot the water builds up and there are many mudslides and overflowed roads. Most of the roads downtown are old but still in good condition. Aruba is a very happy country where many people come for vacation and to relax. There are many types of lizards and crabs that live on and around the island. There are many places to see such as: Giant Dorite Boulder Formation, Perching Pelicans, Or the Natural Bridge, these places are all famous on the small island. Aruba is a fun, exciting place to visit for anyone.
Written Jan, 2000.