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Aruba is a semi-arid island that experiences little variation in temperature throughout the year. Rainfall, which occurs mostly in November and December, averages less than 50 cm (20 in) a year. The red soil on the island is poor and thin and the thorny vegetation is quite drought resistant. Tourism and the refining of oil brought in from nearby Venezuela (whose northern coast appears below) are the major industries. Oraniestad, located on the northwest coast, is the major city of the island. Image courtesy of NASA.