The "Olde Molen" - Aruba
photo. Hans W. Hannau
The Old Mill - Aruba
Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Olde Molen, which means The Old Windmill, over 200 years old and was brought to Aruba from the Netherlands. A fine restaurant, in the old atmosphere, is located in this famous mill.
postmarked in 1977 with an Aruba: 25 c Nederlandse Antillen (Netherlands Antilles) - Curacao stamp
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Language can be seen as an important part of island culture in Aruba. The cultural mixture has given rise to a linguistic mixture known as Papiamento, the predominant language on Aruba. The official language is Dutch. The local language used by its inhabitants is Papiamento and is a language that has been evolving through the centuries and absorbed many words from other languages like Dutch, English, French, diverse African dialects, and most importantly, from Portuguese and Spanish. However, like many islands in the region, Spanish is also often spoken. English has historical connections (with the British Empire) and is known by many; English usage has also grown due to tourism. Other common languages spoken based on the size of their community are Portuguese, Chinese, German and French. The latter is offered in high school and college, since a high percentage of Aruban students continue their studies in Europe.
Unlike much of the Caribbean region, Aruba has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather.
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