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Aruba
History
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".
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 Hispañola 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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
http://enjoyaruba.com/facts/
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cabana/3663/main.htm
http://www.bestvaluetimeshares.com/history.htm
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/caribbean/aruba/printable.htm
http://www.arubabound.com/geninfo.htm
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