Aruba, with limy soils, is just 25km north of Venezuela. It’s the result of coral-reef clusters that make up a barren, rocky, relieve-absent land. The country’s highest peak is only 188 meters above sea level. This particular island juts out for its extraordinary beauty and such top-quality beaches as Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, penciled in as two of the best in the whole Caribbean Basin. They both sport top-notch tourist infrastructure. Caves like the ones in Guadirikiri and Fontein, the two most important ones, stand out. There are no rivers. Climate is tropical, with a 28-degree annual average temperature and rainfall reaching 430mm every year.
Aruba comprises 193 square kilometers with a total surface extension of 367,1 square kilometers.
Oranjestad is the nation’s capital. Other major cities are San Nicolas, Simeon Antonio, Santa Cruz, Palm Beach, Noord and Pos Chiquito.
Aruba’s flora takes after that of South America, featuring huge cactuses, aloes, and a famous tree called watapana or divi-divicon. Flamboyants that bloom in June and August are also commonplace on the island.
Wildlife consists of 90 wonderful, colorful bird species, pelicans, golden orioles, lizards, iguanas and Aruba’s wild jackass. Other endemic subspecies are: Aruba’s cave owl that both nests and sleeps in holes carved in the ground. There are some 30 pairs of these such little owls in Aruba. The poisonous rattlesnake is just another exception of the island’s reptile population. This snake would rather be found inside shrubs in the Arikik and Jamanota areas. This is an endangered species since its own habitat is increasingly shrinking. There’re currently some 250 to 500 rattlesnakes on the island.There are also different species of marine swallows that nestle on the keys in San Nicolas Bay, along the island’s southeastern coastline.For birdwatchers, Aruba’s Cayenne swallow is a specie of marked interest. Its beak is yellow –instead of the usual black bill found in other species. With over 3,000 nests every year, the Cayenne swallow makes up the largest mating colony north of the Equator. Pink swallows also nest on the keys, an extremely endangered specie all around the globe and quite sensitive to human-made disturbances. Smiling seagulls as well as dark-red and black ducklings can also be watched here.
