Geography of Aruba

Aruba

Nickname: One Happy Island
Map of Aruba
Geography
Location	Caribbean Sea
Coordinates	12°30′N 69°58′W / 12.5°N 69.967°W / 12.5; -69.967
Archipelago	ABC islands (Lesser Antilles)
Area	139 km2 (53.7 sq mi)
Coastline	68.5 km (42.56 mi)
Highest elevation	188 m (617 ft)
Highest point	Mount Jamanota
Country
Aruba
Largest city	Oranjestad (pop. 32,748)
Demographics
Population	104,494 (as of 2007)
Density	751.76 /km2 (1,947.05 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Mixed Caribbean Amerindian and white

NASA satellite image of Aruba.

Arikok National Park

Casibari Rock Formation

Aruba's natural landbridge in 2005, before its subsequent collapse due to coastal erosion.

Aruba is a small Caribbean island (54 sq mi/140 km²) about the size of Washington, D.C., located 25 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 68 km northwest of Curaçao, the largest island of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba’s terrain is mostly flat with a few hills. There is little in the way of vegetation or outstanding physical features and no inland water. Aruba’s best-known geographical feature is its white-sand beaches, which are the basis of an active tourism industry that is the mainstay of the island’s economy. Aruba is situated on the Caribbean Tectonic Plate. The island is made up of limestone-capped hills and ridges, with cliffs on the northern and northeastern coasts and coral reefs on the southern coast.

Mountains and Hills

Aruba’s terrain is almost entirely flat. The highest elevation, so-called Mount Jamanota, is only 188 m above sea level. Rock formations characterize the interior of the island.

The Coast and Beaches

Aruba has three deepwater harbors located at Oranjestad, Barcadera, and San Nicolaas (Sint Nicolaas). The coastal area is known for its white-sand beaches and the calm waters surrounding Aruba are clear, making it a popular tourist destination.

Climate

Temperature

Aruba’s tropical marine climate varies little seasonally, with an average annual temperature of 27 °C (80.6 °F), varying from about 26 °C (78.8 °F) in January to 29 °C (84.2 °F) in July.

Rainfall

Most rain brought by the prevailing easterly winds of the region falls on the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, leaving Aruba with a very dry climate. Rainfall averages 510 mm (20.1 in) or less annually, and the island’s residents rely on one of the world’s largest desalination plants for most of their drinking water. The rainy season occurs between October and December.

Statistics

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

12°30′N 69°58′W / 12.5°N 69.967°W / 12.5; -69.967 (Aruba)Coordinates: 12°30′N 69°58′W / 12.5°N 69.967°W / 12.5; -69.967 (Aruba)

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

• Total: 193 km²
• Land: 193 km²
• Water: 0 km²

country comparison to the world: 108

Area comparative

slightly larger than Washington DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

68.5 km

Maritime claims

The "Rijkswet" of December 12, 1985, for the maritime boundaries between The Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, and the Maritime Boundaries Treaty signed March 31, 1978, between the Republic of Venezuela and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, introduced December 12, 1978, and valid for Aruba since January 1, 1986.

Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)

Climate

Tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

Flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Elevation extremes

• Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
• Highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m
• Best known: Hooiberg 165 m (541 ft)

Natural resources

Negligible; white sandy beaches

Land use

• Arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
• Permanent crops: 0%
• Other: 89.47% (2005)

Irrigated land

0.01 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

While Aruba barely lies within the Caribbean hurricane belt, storms rarely if ever pass over the island.

Environment--current issues

NA

Geography-note

A flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius.

See also

• Wikimedia Atlas of Aruba

External links

• Map of ArubaPDF
• Map of Aruba
• Maps of Aruba (including island map, and detail maps of Oranjestad and San Nicolas)