Aruba - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Aruba, it was the origin of the island's name is unclear; according to tradition, the name comes from the Spanish phrase "oro huba" (there was gold), but in fact no gold was ever found on the island; another possibility is the native word "oruba," which means "well-situated". The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democracy; part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands type and the different Administrative divisions includes: none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National symbols
Hooiberg (Haystack) Hill; national colors: blue, yellow, red, white.
The flag
The National flag of Aruba has blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner; the star represents Aruba and its red soil and white beaches, its four points the four major languages (Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English) as well as the four points of a compass, to indicate that its inhabitants come from all over the world; the blue symbolizes Caribbean waters and skies; the stripes represent the island's two main "industries": the flow of tourists to the sun-drenched beaches and the flow of minerals from the earth.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Aruba Deshi Tera" (Aruba Precious Country) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Juan Chabaya 'Padu' LAMPE/Rufo Inocencio WEVER |
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note: local anthem adopted 1986; as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, "Het Wilhelmus" is official (see Netherlands)
More about the government of Aruba
| Date of Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | National Anthem and Flag Day, 18 March (1976) |
| Legal system | civil law system based on the Dutch civil code |
| International law organization participation | |
| 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 |
| Citizenship | |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor General Alfonso BOEKHOUDT (since 1 January 2017) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Evelyn WEVER-CROES (since 17 November 2017) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers elected by the Legislature (Staten) |
| Elections/appointments | 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; election last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held by June 2025) |
| Election results | as leader of the majority party of the ruling coalition, Evelyn WEVER-CROES (MEP) elected prime minister; percent of Staten vote - NA |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) |
| Elections | Last held on 25 June 2021 (next to be held in June 2025) |
| Election results | Percent of vote by party MEP 35.3%, AVP 31.3%, ROOTS 9.4%, MAS 8%, Accion21 5.8%; seats by party - MEP 9, AVP 7, ROOTS 2, MAS 2, Accion21 1; composition - men 13, women 8, percentage women - 38.1% |
| 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 |
| Judge selection and term of office | Joint Court judges appointed for life by the monarch |
| Subordinate courts | Court in First Instance |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | 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 |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Aruba
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Aruba
Want to know more about Aruba? Check all different factbooks for Aruba below.
