Aruba is one of the ABC islands (Aruba-Bonaire-Caraçao) of the Lesser Antilles and belongs geographically to South America. It was discovered by the Spaniards in 1499 and acquired by the Netherlands in 1636. In the 19th century, the island lived primarily on the gold rush and later on the oil – in World War II, the islands of Aruba and Curacao had the world’s largest oil refineries and were attacked by German and Italian submarines. Until 2009 (cessation of petroleum refining and storage) oil was Aruba’s most important product. Today, Aruba is home to offshore banks, data processing companies and tourism. The agriculture is lean due to the climate and only aloe is worth mentioning.