Aruba
 

1636 - 15 Dec 1959

15 Dec 1959 - 18 Mar 1976

Adopted 18 Mar 1976

Map of Aruba Hear National Anthem "Wilhelmous van Nassouwe" (William of Nassau) Hear Local Anthem "Aruba Dushi Tera" (Aruba Sweet Land) Adopted 18 Mar 1976 Constitution (1 Jan 1986; in Dutch) Capital: Oranjestad (1780-1824 Paardenbaai;  1636-1780 Commandeursbaai) Currency: Aruban Guilder/Florin (AWG) National Holiday: 18 Mar (1976) Dag van het Volkslied en de Vlag (Anthem and Flag Day) Population: 115,120 (2017)  GDP: $2.67 billion (2011) Exports: $246.3 million (2017) Imports: $1.16 billion (2017) Ethnic Groups: Dutch 82.1%, Colombian 6.6%, Venezuelan 2.2%, Dominican 2.2%, Haitian 1.2%, other 5.5%, unspecified 0.1% (2010) Total Police Force: 250 (2006) Defense is the Responsibility of The Netherlands Merchant marine: None (2017) Religions: Roman Catholic 75.3%, Protestant 4.9% (includes  Methodist 0.9%, Adventist 0.9%, Anglican 0.4%, other Protestant  2.7%), Jehovah's Witness 1.7%, other 12%, none 5.5%, unspecified 0.5% (2010) International Organizations/Treaties: ACS (associate), Caricom (observer), DLU (cooperation), FATF, ILO, Interpol, IOC, LAP, UNESCO (associate), UNWTO (associate), UPU, WMO Aruba Chronology c.1502                     Discovered and claimed for Spain by Alonso de Ojeda                              and named Oro Hubo.  1526                       First recorded mention as Aruba. 10 May 1636                Aruba a Dutch colony (subordinate to Curaçao). 1636 - 1792                Under Dutch West India Company administration. 1647 - 1664                Part of New Netherland colony (see New York). 30 Jan 1648                Spain recognizes Dutch possession of Aruba.  Oct 1804  (1 week)         British occupation. 12 Feb 1805 - 20 Nov 1805  British occupation. 10 Apr 1806 - 15 Apr 1806  Occupied by Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco                              de Miranda. 19 Aug 1806 - 25 Sep 1806  Re-occupied by Francisco de Miranda. Jan 1807 - 11 Mar 1816     British occupation. 1828                       Bonaire, Aruba, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius,                               Sint Maarten and Dutch Guiana united as                               the Dutch West Indies; with the governor                              of Dutch Guiana as the governor-general                              (see Suriname). 27 Jan 1848                Islands united under the name of Curaçao and                              Dependencies (from 20 Sep 1948, renamed                              Netherlands Antilles). 29 Dec 1954                Netherlands Antilles an autonomous part of                               the Netherlands. 11 May 1940 - 11 Feb 1942  Allied occupation (French to 6 Jul 1940, then                              British), Dutch administration continues. 11 Feb 1942 - 1945         U.S. occupation, Dutch administration continues. 25 Mar 1977                Referendum Aruba 82% of voters support independence                              and withdrawal from the Netherlands Antilles. 12 Mar 1983                Autonomy granted; to be followed by independence                               within ten years.  1 Jan 1986                Separation from Netherlands Antilles, Aruba an                              autonomous country of The Netherlands. Jun 1990                   Movement toward full independence (that was to                              occur on 1 Jan 1996) halted at Aruba's request.

Commanders
1636                       Johannes van Walbeeck              (b 1602 – af.1649)
1660?                      Hendrik Martens
1667?                      N. Williams
1676? - 21 Dec 1680        Josephus Flaccius (1st time)       (b. 16.. - d. 1715)
1680                       Willem Kien (acting)
1680? - 1681               Johannes "Hans" Bontemantel        (b. 1613 - d. 1688)
1681 - Oct 1715            Josephus Flaccius (2nd time)       (s.a.)
1717? - 1719               Hermanus Koolman
1719 - 1721                Willem Palmers
1721 - 1722                Pieter Pietersz. van Kempen
1722 - 1726                Willem Jansz. (1st time)
1726 - 1730                Isaak Obbens
1730 - 1739                Willem Jansz. (2nd time)
1739 - 1754                Daniel Nieuwkerk                   (d. 1754)
1754 - 1756                Lourens Croes (acting)             (b. 1707 - d. 1758) 
1756 - 10 Oct 1768         Jan van der Biest I                (b. c.1700 - d. 1768) 
1768 - 1780                Gilles Poppe (acting to 1772)
1780 - 1791                Harmen van der Biest               (b. 1725 - d. ....)
1791 - 1792                Jacobus Pellicorne Porrier
1792 - 1803                Borchard Specht                    (b. c.1740 - d. 18..) 
Sep 1799 - Oct 1799        Edward Hamilton                    (b. 1772 - d. 1851) 
                             (British commander)
May 1800                   Henry Anderson (British commander)
Sep 1800                   Watkins (British commander)
1803 - 1804                Pieter Specht
Oct 1804  (1 week)         Mahling (Maling)(British commander)
                             (1st time)
1804 - 1805                Johan Craneveldt
1805 -  8 Oct 1805         Bruin Govertsz Quant (1st time)    (b. c.1760 - d. 18..)
 8 Oct 1805 - 20 Nov 1805  W. Doran (British Lt. governor)
20 Nov 1805                Patrick Balfour                    (b. 1784 - d. 1848)
Nov 1805                   Pedro Luis Brión (acting)          (b. 1782 - d. 1821)
Nov 1805 - 15 Jan 1806     Bruin Govertsz Quant (2nd time)    (s.a.)
12 Feb 1805 - 20 Nov 1805  Mahling (Maling)(British commander)
                             (2nd time)
15 Jan 1806 - 1806         Joseph Franke (acting)
1806                       Samuel Bartholomeus van            (b. 17.. - d. 1817)
                             den Broek (commissioner)
                             (1st time)(acting)
1806                       Jan van der Biest II (1st time)
1806 - 18..                Samuel Bartholomeus van            (s.a.)
                             den Broek (commissioner)
                             (2nd time)(acting)
10 Apr 1806 - 15 Apr 1806  Francisco de Miranda (1st time)    (b. 1750 - d. 1816)
                             (military commander)
19 Aug 1806 - 25 Sep 1806  Francisco de Miranda (2nd time)    (s.a.)
                             (military commander)
10 Nov 1810 - 181.         John Harrison Church 
                             (British commander)
181.                       Hartmann?
                             (British commander)
181. - 11 Mar 1816         I. van der Biest
                             (British civil commander)
11 Mar 1816 -  1 Jul 1819  Lodewijk Christoph Boyé            (b. 1773 - d. 1841)
1819 -  1 Jan 1822         Jan van der Biest II (2nd time)
                             (acting)
 1 Jan 1822 - 1826         Jacob Thielen I                    (b. 1766 - d. 1843)
1826 - 14 Aug 1827         Simon Plats                        (b. 1773 - d. 1827)
1827 - 1833                Johan Frederik Waters Gravenhorst  (b. 1800 - d. 18..)
                             (acting to 1829)  
Directors (gezashebber)
1833 - 1837                Johan Frederik Waters Gravenhorst  (s.a.)
1837                       Gerard Jan van Spall               (b. 1795 - d. 1853)
1839 - 1848                Jacobus Jarman, Jr.                (b. 1792 - d. 1859)
Lieutenant governors (gezaghebber)
1848 - 1859                Jacobus Jarman, Jr.                (s.a.)
1859                       Borchard Specht (acting)
1859                       Michaël de Veer (1st time)(acting) (b. 1823 - d. 1859)
1859 - 1860                Herman François Gerardus Wagner    (b. 1822 - d. 1904)
1860 - 1863                Michaël de Veer (2nd time)         (s.a.)
1863 - 1866                Edouard Dénis Ernest van den       (b. 1831 - d. 1908)
                             Bossche 
1866 - 1871                Jan Helenus Ferguson               (b. 1826 - d. 1908)
1871 - 1876                Willem Melanchton Bennebroek       (b. 1836 - d. ....)
                             Gravenhorst
1876 - 1883                Jan Hendrik Rudeloff Beaujon       (b. 1838 - d. 1930)
1883 - 1888                David Gäerste Willemszoon          (b. 1841 - d. 1898)
1885                       E.L. Zeppenfeldt
                             (acting for Willemszoon)
1885 - 1886                P.J.C. Lampe
                             (acting for Willemszoon)
1888 - 1897                Jacob Thielen II (1st time)        (b. 1834 - d. 1915)
1897                       J.G. Lampe (acting)
1897 - 1899                Johannes Adriaan de Veer           (b. 1853 - d. 1899)
1899 - 1901                Jacob Thielen II (2nd time)(acting)(s.a.)
1901 - 1909                Gerard Raven Zeppenfeldt           (b. 1863 - d. 19..)
1911 - 1920                Hendrik Johannes Beaujon           (b. 1870 - d. 19..)
1920 - 1928                Jan Frederik Quast                 (b. 1875 - d. 1953)
1928 - 1945                Isaac Wagemaker                    (b. 1884 - d. 19..)
1931                       J.N. van der Veen Zeppenfeldt
                             (acting for Wagemaker)
1934                       J.H. Perret Gentil
                             (acting for Wagemaker)
1938                       M.B. Bartels Daal
                             (acting for Wagemaker)
1945 - 1957                Lindoro Cristoffel Kwartsz         (b. 1873 - d. 1959)
1947                       A.M. Schütte (acting for Kwartsz)
1948                       Herman Bernard Cornelis Schotborgh (b. 1898 - d. 19..)
                             (acting for Kwartsz)
1949 - 1950                Hendrik Anthonius Hessling
                             (acting for Kwartsz)
1951                       Fr.A. Jas (acting for Kwartsz)
1952                       P.G. Hooghoudt (acting for Kwartsz)
1957                       P. Croes (acting)
1957 - 1958                K.H. de Boer (acting)
1958 - 1959                E. Arends (acting)
1959                       Oscar Siegfried Henriquez (acting) (b. 1926)
                             (1st time)
1959                       Otto R.A. Beaujon (acting)         (b. 1915 - d. 1984)
1959 - 1964                Frederik J.C. Beaujon              (b. 1906 - d. 1964)
1964 - 1973                Oscar Siegfried Henriquez          (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
1973 - 1979                Francisco Jose "Jossy" Tromp       (b. 1925 - d. 2014)
1979 - 1982                Francisco D. Figaroa               (b. 1927 - d. 1993)
1982                       Remy R. Zaandam (acting)           (b. 1936)
1982 - 1983                Euladio D. Nicolaas (acting)       (b. 1941)
1983 -  4 Oct 1985         Pedro Bislip                       (b. 1937 - d. 2007)
1985 - 31 Dec 1985         Frans Wernet (acting)              (b. 1929 - d. 1995)
Governors
 1 Jan 1986 - 12 Mar 1992  Felipe Tromp                       (b. 1917 - d. 1995)
12 Mar 1992 - 11 May 2004  Olindo Koolman                     (b. 1942)
11 May 2004 - 31 Dec 2016  Fredis Refunjol                    (b. 1950)
 1 Jan 2017 -              Juan Alfonso Boekhoudt             (b. 1965)

Leaders of the government (unofficial post)
1954 - 1956?               Juan Enrique Irausquin             (b. 1904 - d. 1962)  PPA
1956? - 1973?              ....
1973? - 1977?              Gilberto "Betico" F. Croes         (b. 1938 - d. 1986)  MEP
                             (1st time)
1977? - 1979?              ....                                                    PPA
1979? - 31 Dec 1985        Gilberto "Betico" F. Croes         (s.a.)               MEP
                             (2nd time)
Prime ministers
 1 Jan 1986 -  9 Feb 1989  Jan Hendrik "Henny" Albert Eman    (b. 1948)            AVP 
                             (1st time) 
 9 Feb 1989 - 29 Jul 1994  Nelson Orlando Oduber (1st time)   (b. 1947)            MEP
29 Jul 1994 - 30 Oct 2001  Jan Hendrik "Henny" Albert Eman    (s.a.)               AVP 
                             (2nd time) 
30 Oct 2001 - 30 Oct 2009  Nelson Orlando Oduber (2nd time)   (s.a.)               MEP 
30 Oct 2009 - 17 Nov 2017  Michiel "Mike" Godfried Eman       (b. 1961)            AVP
17 Nov 2017 -              Evelyna "Evelyn" Wever-Croes (f)   (b. 1966)            MEP

Allied Military Commanders, Aruba
(subordinated to the commanders of All Allied Forces in Aruba and Curaçao)
12 May 1940 - 18 May 1940  Pierre Frédéric Henri Goybet       (b. 1887 - d. 1963)
                             (France)
18 May 1940 -  6 Jul 1940  .... (France)
1940 - Feb 1942            Colin Muir Barber (U.K.)           (b. 1897 - d. 1964)
11 Feb 1942 - Sep? 1942    Charles Rouse Jones (U.S.)         (b. 1890 - d. 1970)
1942 - 1945                .... (U.S.)

Party abbreviations: AVP = Arubaanse Volkspartij/Partido di Pueblo Arubano (Aruba People's Party, christian-democratic, center-right, est.3 Dec 1942); MEP = Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo/Electorale Volksbeweging (People's Electoral Movement, socialist, supports full independence, est.9 Feb 1971); PPA = Partido Patriótico Arubano/Arubaanse Patriottische Partij (Patriotic Party of Aruba, social democratic, opposes full independence, est.23 Oct 1949)