Which ancestral backgrounds are represented among Aruba’s population?

The population of Aruba is primarily ethnically mixed, reflecting a diverse range of ancestral backgrounds. Many residents share American Indian ancestry, which is frequently found in combination with Dutch, Spanish, and African heritage.1

Unlike many other islands in the Caribbean, Aruba had few slave-based plantations during its colonial history, which accounts for the relatively small number of people of predominantly African descent on the island. The island's earliest known inhabitants were the Arawak people.12