Aruba
Caribbean island constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is an island constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea 29 kilometres (18 mi) north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 kilometres (50 mi) north-west of Curaçao. In 1986, Aruba became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and acquired the official name.
Aruba has an area of 179 square kilometres (69.1 sq mi), and measures 32 kilometres (20 mi) in length from its north-western to its south-eastern end and is 10 kilometres (6 mi) across at its widest point. Aruba is geologically located in South America, lying on the South American continental shelf. Alongside Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms part of an island group referred to as the ABC islands. The Dutch Caribbean encompasses the ABC islands along with the other three substantial islands, the SSS islands. In contrast to much of the Caribbean, which experiences humid tropical climates, Aruba has a dry climate with an arid xeric landscape. The relatively warm and sunny weather persists throughout the year.
With a population of 108,880, Aruba is home to about one-third of the total population of the Dutch Caribbean. As one of the four countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, alongside the Netherlands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, Aruba shares Dutch nationality with its citizens.
The public source identifies “Aruba” as caribbean island constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Aruba, Caribbean and island.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Aruba”, the useful work is to connect “caribbean island constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q21203. VIAF identifies the subject as 151257487. The Library of Congress control number is n79063420. Authority coordinates are 12.515, -69.975. 4 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1986.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Aruba”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Aruba primary sources, Aruba archive and Aruba research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Aruba”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Aruba” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.