Discovered and claimed for
Spain in
1499,
Aruba was acquired by the
Dutch in
1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A
19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in
1924 of an
oil refinery. The last decades of the
20th century saw a boom in the
tourism industry.
Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles on January 1, 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990.
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