San Nicolaas (San Nicolas)
San Nicolaas (Sint Nicolaas) is 19 km southeast of Oranjestad, and is Aruba's second largest city. it has a population of 15,283, most of whom originate from the British Caribbean and rest of the Caribbean.
According to oral tradition, San Nicolaas was named after a Mr. Nicolaas van der Biest (1808–1873), who owned a big piece of the land there. Landowners were then addressed by their subordinates by their first names preceded by 'Shon' meaning 'master'. So he was called 'Shon Nicolaas', as was the area. It is thought that the change from Shon Nicolas to San Nicolaas was due to the influence of Spanish.
Many Afro-Arubans settled in San Nicolaas during the 1920s, attracted by the many jobs associated with the oil refinery.
According to oral tradition, San Nicolaas was named after a Mr. Nicolaas van der Biest (1808–1873), who owned a big piece of the land there. Landowners were then addressed by their subordinates by their first names preceded by 'Shon' meaning 'master'. So he was called 'Shon Nicolaas', as was the area. It is thought that the change from Shon Nicolas to San Nicolaas was due to the influence of Spanish.
Many Afro-Arubans settled in San Nicolaas during the 1920s, attracted by the many jobs associated with the oil refinery.
Map - San Nicolaas (San Nicolas)
Map
Country - Aruba
Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten; the citizens of these countries are all Dutch nationals. Aruba has no administrative subdivisions, but, for census purposes, is divided into eight regions. Its capital is Oranjestad. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. The relatively warm and sunny weather, and the climate allow for related tourism activities all year round. Its area is 179 km2 and it is quite densely populated, with 108,166 inhabitants per the 2020 census.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
AWG | Aruban florin | Æ’ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
NL | Dutch language |
EN | English language |
ES | Spanish language |