| ARUBA
HISTORY |
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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. |
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| 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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