Aruba Geography - 2022

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

12 30 N, 69 58 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 180 sq km

land: 180 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

68.5 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

flat with a few hills; scant vegetation

Elevation

highest point: Ceru Jamanota 188 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism

Land use

agricultural land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)

forest: 2.3% (2018 est.)

other: 86.6% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

N/A

Population distribution

most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlments tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island

Natural hazards

hurricanes; lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely threatened

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 (81 degrees Fahrenheit)

NOTE: The information regarding Aruba on this page is re-published from the 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Aruba 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Aruba 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.