History of Aruba
The history of Aruba dates back to about 2000 years BC, when South Americans landed here in small vessels. The history of Arawak Indians can be seen in the artifacts of the era in various Aruban Museums. The Spanish were the first Europeans to land in Aruba in 1499. The island went into the Dutch hands and later had a brief British colonial period. The nation then reverted to Dutch control till their independence.