oranjestad's name

do you know that the island does not share land boundaries with other countries? its coastline is only 68.5 kilometers and plus the fact that this island has no rivers! strange isn't it? and what i am curious about is its capital..Oranjestad..what is the meaning of its name?

lilibeth wrote:

and what i am curious about is its capital.. Oranjestad..what is the meaning of its name?

The city is named after the first King Willem van Oranje-Nassau (William of Orange-Nassau) - the first heir to the Dutch House of Orange. The name was conferred on the city in the 1820s when interest in Aruba increased due to the discovery of (alluvial) gold deposits. (Wikipedia)

That is nice to know, thanks for giving the detailed explanation of the capital name. How about the name Aruba, is there also a connection to the Dutch monarchy?

Are there still gold to be mined in the island? 68.5 kilometers is not that long, I think I can hike that coastline for approximately 5 days.

That's interesting! I didn't even know it belonged to the Dutch. I guess I should have with the name Oranjestad. Do the natives speak the Dutch language?