About Barbados in detail

Flag of Barbados	Map of Barbados

The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island, which initially dominated the Caribbean sugar industry. By 1720 Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834. The Barbadian economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

Barbados’s names conventional long form: none, conventional short form: Barbados, etymology: the name derives from the Portuguese “as barbadas,” which means “the bearded ones” and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island’s bearded-fig trees or to the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants. The name derives from the Portuguese “as barbadas,” which means “the bearded ones” and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island’s bearded fig trees or the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants.

Barbados’s terrain is typically relatively flat; it rises gently to the central highland region. The country’s mean elevation: N/A, elevation extremes; lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m, highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m.

The general climate in the country; tropical: rainy season (June to October).

The total number of border countries is 0; none are the neighboring nations with the indicated border lengths. Barbados’s coastline is 97 km, while its marital claims are: territorial sea: 12 nautical miles, exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles. Waterways: N/A. Land use: agricultural land: 32.6%; arable land 25.6%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 4.7%; forest: 19.4%; other: 48% (2011 estimate).

The population in Barbados 293,131 (July 2018 estimate), urban population: 31.5% of total population (2015), central metropolitan area’s population: BRIDGETOWN (capital) 90,000 (2014), while Barbados has the most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas. Their spoken languages are English (official language), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings).

Main religions in Barbados are Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah’s Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 estimate). The nation uses English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts. It is a(n) parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm, National holiday(s) Emancipation Day, 1 August (1834); Independence Day, 30 November (1966).

Economic overview for the country: Barbados is the wealthiest and one of the most developed countries in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the region’s highest per capita incomes. Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, boosted by being in the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. Following the 2008-2009 recession, external vulnerabilities such as fluctuations in international oil prices have hurt economic growth, raised Barbados’ already high public debt to GDP ratio – which stood at 105% of GDP in 2016 – and cut into its international reserves.

Natural resources of Barbados: petroleum, fish, natural gas.

Main export partners for Barbados, Central America, and the Caribbean are Trinidad and Tobago 22.5%, US 11.8%, St. Lucia 9.2%, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 5.7%, Antigua and Barbuda 4.7%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.4%, Guyana 4.2% (2015) for manufactures, sugar, molasses, rum, other foodstuffs and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, while the main import partners for the country are: Trinidad and Tobago 39%, US 31.1% (2015) for consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components.

When you visit this country in Central America and the Caribbean, consider the natural hazards in Barbados: Infrequent hurricanes, periodic landslides, while infectious diseases are noted: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses a significant risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016). Also, note that Barbados faces the following environmental issues: Pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships, Soil erosion, Illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers.

You may also be interested in Barbados’s surrounding countries around its 0 km border – No border countries.