Aruba is a small Caribbean island known for:

• White-sand beaches — especially Eagle Beach and Palm Beach, famous for soft sand and clear turquoise water.

• Warm, sunny weather — Aruba is outside the main hurricane belt, so it gets sunshine most of the year.

• Tourism and resorts — luxury hotels, casinos, water sports, and cruise ship visitors make tourism a major part of the economy.

• Dutch-Caribbean culture — Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so you’ll see Dutch influence mixed with Caribbean and Latin American culture.

• Divi-divi trees — the island’s iconic wind-shaped trees that always point southwest because of the trade winds.

• Multilingual people — many locals speak Papiamento, Dutch, English, and Spanish.

• Marine life and diving — snorkeling, coral reefs, and shipwreck diving are very popular.

Its capital is Oranjestad, known for colorful Dutch-style buildings and shopping. Aruba is often described as one of the safest and most visitor-friendly Caribbean islands.