World Factbook
Aruba
Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: blue, with two narrow, horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper-left corner meaning: the star stands for Aruba's red soil and white beaches, and its four points for the major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) and the points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main industries, tourism and mining
Capital
name
Oranjestad
etymology
translates as "orange city" in Dutch; in 1824, the city was named after the royal family of the Netherlands, the House of Orange-Nassau
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
12 31 N, 70 02 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
see the Netherlands
Constitution
history
previous 1947, 1955; latest drafted and approved August 1985, enacted 1 January 1986 (regulates governance of Aruba but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands); in 1986, Aruba became a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Country name
etymology
the origin of the island's name is unclear; according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase oro hubo ("there was gold"), but no gold was ever found on the island; other possible sources are either the local word oruba ("well-situated") or a combination of two Carib Indian words, ora and oubao ("shell" and "island," respectively)
local long form
Land Aruba (Dutch); Pais Aruba (Papiamento)
local short form
Aruba
conventional long form
Country of Aruba
conventional short form
Aruba
Independence
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Legal system
civil law system based on the Dutch civil code
Government type
parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or "Joint Court of Justice" (sits as a 3-judge panel); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands
subordinate courts
Court in First Instance
judge selection and term of office
Joint Court judges appointed for life by the monarch
Executive branch
cabinet
Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten)
chief of state
King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Alfonso BOEKHOUDT (since 1 January 2017)
election results
Mike EMAN (AVP) elected prime minister; percent of Staten vote - NA
head of government
Prime Minister Mike EMAN (since 28 March 2025)
most recent election date
6 December 2024
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a 6-year term; prime minister and deputy prime minister indirectly elected by the Staten for 4-year term
expected date of next election
by December 2028
National holiday
National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976)
Dependency status
one of four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
note: the other three constituent countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are the Netherlands, Sint Maarten, and Curacao
National color(s)
blue, yellow, red, white
Political parties
Accion21 Aruban People's Party or AVP Democratic Network or RED FUTURO Movimiento Aruba Soberano (Aruban Sovereignty Movement) or MAS Partido Patriotico di Aruba (Aruban Patriotic Party) or APP People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP Pueblo Orguyoso y Respeta or POR RAIZ (ROOTS)
Legislative branch
term in office
4 years
number of seats
21
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Legislature (Staten)
scope of elections
full renewal
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
6 December 2024
expected date of next election
by December 2028
percentage of women in chamber
38.1%
parties elected and seats per party
AVP (9); MEP (8); FUTURO (3); PPA (1)
National anthem(s)
title
“Het Wilhelmus”
history
official anthem, as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
lyrics/music
Philips VAN MARNIX van Sint Aldegonde (presumed)/unknown
National symbol(s)
Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy
the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Curacao is accredited to Aruba
International organization participation
ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), FATF, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU