Aruban florin

Aruban florin
Æ’
The florin (sign: Afl.; code: AWG) or Aruban guilder is the currency of Aruba. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The florin was introduced in 1986, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder at par. The Aruban florin is pegged to the United States dollar at the rate of 1.79 florin per USD. US dollars are frequently accepted as payment at the rate of 1.75 florin per USD.

In 1986, coins were introduced in denominations of 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 1⁄2 florin. Later, the 5 florin banknote was replaced by a square coin and the 2 1⁄2 florin coin was removed from circulation. The 5 florin was replaced in 2005 with a round gold-coloured coin, because the old square 5 florin coin was too easy to counterfeit. All coins are struck in nickel-bonded steel with exception of the 5 florin, which is an alloy of copper and other metals. The 50 cent is the only square-shaped coin remaining, also commonly referred to as a "yotin" by the locals.

On the back of each 1, 2 1⁄2 and 5-florin coin is a profile view of the current head of state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. From 1986 to 2013, this was Queen Beatrix and since 2014 it has been King Willem-Alexander. Moreover, only these three denominations have writing on their edge, namely "God Zij Met Ons" meaning 'God Be With Us'.

Country
  • Aruba
    Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba (Land Aruba; Pais Aruba), is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about 29 km north of the Venezuela peninsula of Paraguaná and 80 km northwest of Curaçao. It measures 32 km long from its northwestern to its southeastern end and 10 km across at its widest point. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. Collectively, these and the other three Dutch substantial islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean, of which Aruba has about one-third of the population. In 1986, it became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and acquired the formal name the Country of 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.