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As far as can be concluded from historical records, the first
European to set foot on Aruba was Alonso de Ojeda. This
Spanish explorer landed on the Island in 1499. One of his first
observations was that the remains he found belonging to the first settlers were considered
to be larger than the average European of that day. He remarked that he had come to "an
Island of giants".
| Popular belief links Aruba’s name
with the Spanish phrase "oro huba" which means "there was
gold". In fact the Spanish did not find any gold, and regarded Aruba as
"valueless". Another possibility is that Aruba’s name comes from the Indian
word "oruba" which means "well placed ". Yet another
possible derivation of the name is from two Carib Indian words "ora"
meaning "shell", and "oubao" meaning
"island". |
The protected entrance
to the cave at Ayo containing
Arawak Indian drawings
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Arawak cave paintings inside the
Ayo cave. Their meaning still
eludes scholars
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Long before the Spanish arrived, Caquetio
Indians of the Arawak tribe settled on the Paraguana peninsula in
Venezuela. Threatened by the Carib Indians who were extremely ferocious, they came to the
Island of Aruba perhaps as long as 4000 years ago. Today, many names of
towns and other geographical areas such as Turibana, Guadirikiri,
Camacuri, Andicuri and Bushiri,
originate from the earliest Indian chiefs and warrior settlers. |
| With the arrival of the Spanish many of
the Indian population were enslaved and relocated to Hispaņola to work
in mines. Despite this their fate was merciful when compared to Indian populations on
other Caribbean Islands who were exterminated. In fact, the Island was spared
the usual horrors of Spanish colonial policies. |
Cave paintings at the Arikok archaeological site.
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By 1642,
the 80-year war between Spain and Holland was
drawing to a close, and it was in this year that the Dutch took possession of
Aruba. Dutch military personnel were sent to maintain Aruba, but contrary to
their living conditions under their previous masters, the Indians were allowed to remain
free. There was a short period between 1805 and 1816 when the British
assumed control. However, the Dutch returned in 1816.
In 1824 gold was
discovered and was mined extensively, becoming a major export along
with phosphate, divi-divi pods for use in leather tanning and aloe.
At one time Aruba satisfied a considerable proportion of world demand for
this plant’s gel - used for pharmaceutical purposes and well-known for its capacity
to alleviate sunburn pain.
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Eventually
gold supplies dwindled and the once-booming mining industry became unprofitable resulting
in all operations ceasing in 1916. It was ultimately black gold that
brought real prosperity.
(Left: Remains of the Aruban gold mine) |
In 1928 Royal Dutch Shell built the Eagle
oil refinery and this was immediately followed by a refinery built by Lago
Oil and Transport Company Ltd. in San Nicolas. Royal Dutch Shell ceased its operations in
1953, after serving as a depot for both refineries during the second world war. In 1932,
the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (Esso, now known as Exxon) took
over the Lago refinery. The refinery employed well over 8,000 people, 16% of Aruba’s
population, and up until the 70’s was one of the largest in the world.
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The Refinery
at San Nicolaas
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On March 31, 1985, Exxon, pressured by a global oversupply, closed the refinery but it was
reopened by the Coastal Oil Company of Houston, Texas on April 20,1991. |
Within three decades Aruba became an island with probably the highest standard of
living in the West Indies. The illiteracy rate, for example, is exceptionally
low. Today tourism has become the major factor in the
island's economy with many major hotel chains setting up in Aruba. In just a few short
years, Aruba has become one of the most popular vacation spots in the
Caribbean, with visitor figures approaching a million annually.
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[ This page was last updated on
Monday, January 05, 2009 ]
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