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{{short description|Island nation in the Caribbean}}
{{otheruses}}
{{hatnote group|
{{Infobox_Countryldkdfhfdljkfsghdksjljfgdklsjvbjkdbvdulsgfduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
{{about|the country in the Caribbean}}
|native_name = Barbados
{{distinguish|Barbuda|Barbatos}}
|common_name = Barbados
}}
|image_flag = Flag of Barbados.svg
{{pp|small=yes}}
|image_coat = Barbados coa.png
{{pp-move}}
|image_map = LocationBarbados.png
{{EngvarB|date=December 2016}}
|national_motto = "Pride and Industry"
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
|national_anthem ='']''
{{Infobox country
|official_languages = ]
| conventional_long_name =
|capital =]
| common_name = Barbados
|latd=13 |latm=10 |latNS=N |longd=59 |longm=32 |longEW=W
| image_flag = File:Flag of Barbados.svg
|largest_city =]
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Barbados (3).svg
|government_type =]<br>]
| image_map = BRB orthographic.svg
|leader_title1 =]
| national_motto = "Pride and Industry"
|leader_title2 = ]
| national_anthem = "]" <div style="padding-top:0.5em;"class="centre">]</div>
|leader_title3 = ]
| official_languages = ]
|leader_name1 =]
| languages_type = ]
|leader_name2 = ]
|leader_name3 = ] | languages = ]
| ethnic_groups = {{vunblist
|area_rank =199th
| 92.4% ]
|area_magnitude =1 E8
| 3.1% multiracial
|area=431
| 2.7% ]
|areami²= 167 <!-- Do not remove per ] -->
| 1.3% ]
|percent_water = Negligible
| 0.3% others
|population_estimate = 279,254
}}
|population_estimate_rank = 180th
| ethnic_groups_year = 2020<ref name="cia"/>
|population_estimate_year = July 2005
| religion_year = 2020
|population_census =
| religion = {{vunblist
|population_census_year =
|75.6% ]
|population_density =647
|20.6% ]
|population_densitymi² = 1,663 <!-- Do not remove per ] -->
|2.0% ]
|population_density_rank =15th
|1.1% ]
|GDP_PPP = $4.9 billion
|0.7% ]<ref name="cia"/>
|GDP_PPP_rank =152nd
}}
|GDP_PPP_year=2006
| capital = ]
|GDP_PPP_per_capita =$17,610
| coordinates = {{Coord|13|05|52|N|59|37|06|W|type:city|display=inline}}
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =39th
| largest_city = capital
|sovereignty_type = ]
| demonym = {{hlist|]|Bajan (colloquial)}}
|established_event1 =From the ]
| government_type = ]
|established_date1 = ], ]
| leader_title1 = ]
|HDI =0.879
| leader_name1 = ]
|HDI_rank = 31st
| leader_title2 = ]
|HDI_year = 2004
| leader_name2 = ]
|HDI_category =<font color="#009900">High</font>
| legislature = ]
|currency = ] ($)
| upper_house = ]
|currency_code = BBD
| lower_house = ]
|country_code =
| area_km2 = 439
|time_zone =
| area_sq_mi = 166<!--Do not remove per ]-->
|utc_offset = -4
| area_rank = 183rd <!-- Should match ] -->
|time_zone_DST =
| percent_water = Negligible
|utc_offset_DST =
| population_estimate = 281,998<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population-with-un-projections?tab=table&time=2023|title=Our World in Data|access-date=11 January 2024|archive-date=12 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112120730/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population-with-un-projections?tab=table&time=2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
|cctld = ]
| population_estimate_rank = 174th
|calling_code = ]
| population_estimate_year = 2023
|footnotes = }}
| population_census = 269,090<ref>{{Cite report |title=2021 Population and Housing Census Report – August 1, 2021 |date=June 2023 |publisher=Barbados Statistical Service |page=21 |url=https://stats.gov.bb/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2021-Population-and-Housing-Census.pdf}}</ref>
'''Barbados''' is an independent ] located in the western ], just to the east of the ], found at roughly 13° north of the ] and 59° west of the ]. Located relatively close to ] the nation of Barbados is around 434.5 ]s (270 ]s) northeast of the ]n nation of ].
| population_census_rank = 174th
| population_census_year = 2021
| population_density_km2 = 660
| population_density_sq_mi = 1,704<!--Do not remove per ]-->
| population_density_rank = 17th
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $5.436 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BB">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=316,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Barbados) |publisher=] |website=IMF.org |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=20 October 2023 |archive-date=5 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105113603/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=316,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year = 2023
| GDP_PPP_rank = 175th
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $18,738<ref name="IMFWEO.BB" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 90th
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $6.220 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.BB" />
| GDP_nominal_year = 2023
| GDP_nominal_rank = 165th
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $21,442<ref name="IMFWEO.BB" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 50th
| sovereignty_type = ]
| sovereignty_note = from the ]
| established_event1 = Part of the ]
| established_date1 = 3 January 1958 – 31 May 1962
| established_event2 = ]
| established_date2 = 30 November 1966
| established_event3 = ]
| established_date3 = 7 December 1966
| established_event4 = Joined ] at the ]
| established_date4 = 1 August 1973
| established_event5 = {{nowrap|]}}
| established_date5 = 30 November 2021
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change = increase<!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI = 0.809
| HDI_ref = <ref name="UNHDR">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2023/24|publisher=]|date=13 March 2024|access-date=13 March 2024|archive-date=13 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313164319/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 62nd
| currency = ] ($)
| currency_code = BBD
| time_zone = ]
| utc_offset = −4
| drives_on = Left<ref name=fco>{{cite web |date=29 August 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071015163750/http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386991 |url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590&a=KCountryAdvice&aid=1013618386991 |archive-date=15 October 2007 |title=Barbados |url-status=dead}} (fco.gov.uk), updated 5 June 2006.</ref>
| calling_code = ] ]
| cctld = ]
}}


'''Barbados''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|b|ɑːr|ˈ|b|eɪ|d|ɒ|s}} {{respell|bar|BAY|doss}}; {{IPAc-en|US|b|ɑːr|ˈ|b|eɪ|d|oʊ|s}} {{respell|bar|BAY|dohss}}; {{IPAc-en|local|b|ɑːr|ˈ|b|eɪ|d|ə|s}} {{respell|bar|BAY|dəss}}) is an ] in the ] of the ], in the ] region next to ] and north of
The closest island neighbours to Barbados are ] and ] both located to the west ] to the south and ] to the south-west. Barbados is part of ].
], and is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. It lies on the boundary of the ] and ] plates. Its capital and largest city is ].


Inhabited by ] people since the 13th century, and prior to that by other ]s, Spanish navigators took possession of Barbados in the late 15th century, claiming it for the ]. It first appeared on a Spanish map in 1511.<ref name="Spanish Main">{{cite book |last1=Sauer |first1=Carl Ortwin |title=Early Spanish Main, The |url={{GBurl|ayCi1EAaIWQC |pg=PA193}} |year=1969 |orig-year=1966 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=0-520-01415-4 |pages=192–197}}</ref> The ] claimed the island between 1532 and 1536, but abandoned it in 1620 with their only remnants being an introduction of wild boars for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited. An ] ship, the ''Olive Blossom'', arrived in Barbados on 14 May 1625; its men took possession of the island in the name of ]. In 1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and Barbados became an ] and later ].<ref name="Commonwealth History">{{cite web |url=http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/barbados/history |title=Barbados – History |author=Secretariat |work=] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820080026/http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/barbados/history |archive-date=20 August 2014}}</ref> During this period, the colony operated on a ], relying on the labour of ] who worked on the island's plantations. Slavery continued until it was phased out through most of the ] by the ].
Barbados possesses a land area of around 430 ]s, (166 ]), and is primarily low-lying, with some higher regions in the island's interior. The organic composition of Barbados is thought to be of non-volcanic origin and is predominantly composed of ]-]. The island's atmosphere is ] with constant ]s off the Atlantic Ocean and some undeveloped areas contain ]es and ] ]s. Other parts of the island's interior contributing the island's agricultural sector are dotted with large ] estates and wide gently sloping ] with many good views down to the sea.


On 30 November 1966, Barbados moved towards political independence and assumed the status of a ], becoming a separate jurisdiction with ] as the ]. On 30 November 2021, Barbados transitioned to a ], replacing its monarchy with a ceremonial president.<ref>{{cite web |title=Barbadians celebrate the birth of a republic and bid farewell to the Queen |first1=Lauren |last1=Said-Moorhouse |first2=Max |last2=Foster
Barbados has one of the highest ] and ] in the ] and, according to the ] (UNDP), Barbados is currently the No. 4 most developed of all developing countries in the world. Despite its small geographical size, Barbados constantly ranks in the top 30 (or 31) countries in the ] (Human Development Index) rankings. The island is also a major tourist destination.
|date=2021-11-30 |work=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/29/americas/barbados-bids-farewell-to-queen-intl-cmd/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130080358/https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/29/americas/barbados-bids-farewell-to-queen-intl-cmd/index.html |archive-date=2021-11-30 |access-date=2022-01-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/30/at-the-stroke-of-midnight-barbados-becomes-the-worlds-newest-republic|last=Safi|first=Michael|title=Barbados parts way with Queen and becomes world's newest republic|work=The Guardian|date=30 November 2021|access-date=30 November 2021|archive-date=30 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130054632/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/30/at-the-stroke-of-midnight-barbados-becomes-the-worlds-newest-republic|url-status=live}}</ref>


Barbados's population is predominantly of African ancestry. While it is technically an Atlantic island, Barbados is closely associated with the Caribbean and is ranked as one of its leading tourist destinations.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Belle|first1=Nicole|last2=Bramwell|first2=Bill|date=1 August 2005|title=Climate Change and Small Island Tourism: Policy Maker and Industry Perspectives in Barbados|journal=Journal of Travel Research|volume=44|pages=34–38|doi=10.1177/0047287505276589|s2cid=154912745| issn = 0047-2875 }}</ref>
==History==
{{main|History of Barbados}}
The earliest inhabitants of Barbados were ] nomads. Three waves of migrants moved north toward ]. The first wave was of the ]-] group, who were farmers, fishermen, and ceramists that arrived by ] from ] (]'s ]) around ]. The ] people were the second wave of migrants, arriving from South America around ]. Arawak settlements on the island include ], ], ], and ]. According to accounts by descendants of the aboriginal Arawak tribes on other local islands, the original name for Barbados was '''Ichirouganaim'''. In the 13th century, the Caribs arrived from South America in the third wave, displacing both the Arawak and the Salodoid-Barrancoid. For the next few centuries, the Caribs&mdash;like the Arawak and the Salodoid-Barrancoid&mdash;lived in isolation on the island.


== Etymology ==
The name "Barbados" comes from a ] named Pedro Campos in ], who originally called the island '''Os Barbados''' ("The Bearded Ones") upon seeing the appearance of the island's ] trees whose long hanging aerial roots, he thought, resembled beards. Between Campos' sighting in 1536 and 1550, ] ] seized many Caribs on Barbados and used them as ] on ]s. Other Caribs fled the island, moving elsewhere.


The name "Barbados" is from either the ] term {{lang|pt|os barbados}} or the Spanish equivalent, {{lang|es|los barbados}}, both meaning "the bearded ones".<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GekeS6uMj38C&dq=%22Barbados%22++Portuguese+spanish+bearded&pg=PA104 |title=To the Editor of the Colonial Journal |author=Dr Ainslie |editor=Dr Ainslie |journal=The Colonial Journal |publisher=G. Davidson |issue=1 |year=1816 |location=London |pages=104 |access-date=4 April 2023 |archive-date=18 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418063559/https://books.google.com/books?id=GekeS6uMj38C&dq=%22Barbados%22++Portuguese+spanish+bearded&pg=PA104 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fiske |first=Amos Kidder |author-link=Amos Kidder Fiske |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUhsofUyHq4C&dq=%22Barbados%22++Portuguese+spanish+bearded&pg=PA357 |title=The West Indies: A History of the Islands of the West Indian Archipelago, Together with an Account of Their Physical Characteristics, Natural Resources, and Present Condition |date=1899 |publisher=G. P. Putnam's Sons |pages=357 |access-date=4 April 2023 |archive-date=18 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418063558/https://books.google.com/books?id=XUhsofUyHq4C&dq=%22Barbados%22++Portuguese+spanish+bearded&pg=PA357 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is unclear whether "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded ] ('']''), a species of ] indigenous to the island, or to the allegedly bearded ] (Island Caribs) who once inhabited the island, or, more fancifully, to a visual impression of a beard formed by the sea foam that sprays over the outlying coral reefs. In 1519, a map produced by the ] mapmaker ] showed and named Barbados in its correct position.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}} Furthermore, the island of ] in the ] is very similar in name and was once named "{{lang|es|Las Barbudas|italic=unset}}" by the Spanish.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
British sailors who landed on Barbados in the 1620s at the site of present-day ] on the Caribbean coast found the island uninhabited. From the arrival of the first British settlers in ]&ndash;] until independence in ], Barbados was under uninterrupted British control. Nevertheless, Barbados always enjoyed a large measure of local autonomy. Its ] began meeting in ]. Among the initial important British figures was Sir ].


The original name for Barbados in the ] was {{lang|awd|Ichirouganaim}}, according to accounts by descendants of the Indigenous ]-speaking tribes in other regional areas, with possible translations including "Red land with white teeth"<ref>{{Cite book |title=Barbados the Red Land with White Teeth: Home of the Amerindians |url=http://www.barbmuse.org.bb/ |access-date=14 May 2010 |publisher=Barbados Museum & Historical Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505161730/http://www.barbmuse.org.bb/ |archive-date=5 May 2010 |url-status=dead |quote=A temporary exhibit which examined some of the preliminary excavations conducted at the dig site at Heywoods, St. Peter.}}</ref> or "Redstone island with teeth outside (reefs)"<ref>{{Cite book |title=Barbados – Geography / History |url=http://www.coucouandflyingfish.com/where.php |access-date=14 May 2010 |year=2008 |publisher=Fun 'N' Sun Publishing Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213141038/http://www.coucouandflyingfish.com/where.php |archive-date=13 December 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> or simply "Teeth".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pantribalconfederacy.com/confederacy/News/pdf/guyana_consul_visit.pdf |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160524005039/http%3A//www.pantribalconfederacy.com/confederacy/News/pdf/guyana_consul_visit.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 May 2016 |title=Guyana Consul (Barbados) Visit to Former Amerindian Village Site in B'dos |first=Norman |last=Faria |date=17 June 2009 |work=Guyana Chronicle |publisher=Pan-Tribal Confederacy of Indigenous Tribal Nations |page=2 |access-date=14 May 2010 |quote=Adjacent to the park, there is still a fresh water stream. This as a main reason the village was here. A hundred or so metres away is the sea and a further five hundred metres out across a lagoon was the outlying reef where the Atlantic swells broke on the coral in shallow waters. As an aside, the word "''Ichirouganaim''", said to be an Arawak word used by the Amerindians to describe Barbados, is thought to refer to the "teeth" imagery of the waves breaking on the reefs off most of southern and eastern coasts. }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Drewett |first1=Peter |author1-link=Peter Drewett |title=Prehistoric Barbados |publisher=Barbados Museum and Historical Society |year=1991 |isbn=1-873132-15-8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Drewett |first1=Peter |title=Prehistoric Settlements in the Caribbean: Fieldwork on Barbados, Tortola and the Cayman Islands |date=2000 |publisher=Archetype Publications Ltd. |isbn=1-873132-22-0}}</ref>
Starting in the 1620s an increasing number of black slaves were brought to the isle. 5000 locals died of fever in 1647, and hundreds of slaves were executed by ] planters during the ] in the 1640s, as they feared that the ideas of the ] might spread to the slave population if ] took control of Barbados.


Colloquially, Barbadians refer to their home island as "Bim" or other nicknames associated with Barbados, including "Bimshire". The origin is uncertain, but several theories exist. The ] of Barbados says that "Bim" was a word commonly used by ]s, and that it derives from the ] term {{lang|ig|bém}} from {{lang|ig|bé mụ́}} meaning "my home, kindred, kind";<ref name="Carrington, Sean 2007 25">{{Cite book |author=Carrington, Sean |title=A~Z of Barbados Heritage |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aSccAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Bimshire%22|year=2007 |publisher=Macmillan Caribbean Publishers Limited |page=25 |isbn=978-0-333-92068-8}}</ref> the Igbo phoneme {{IPA|ig|e|}} in the Igbo orthography is very close to {{IPAc-en|ɪ}}.<ref name=Allsopp2003>{{cite book |title=Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage |first=Richard |last=Allsopp |author2=Allsopp, Jeannette |page= |publisher=University of the West Indies Press |year=2003 |isbn=9766401454 |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofcari0000unse/page/101}}</ref> The name could have arisen due to the relatively large percentage of ] slaves from modern-day southeastern ] arriving in Barbados in the 18th century.<ref name=EltisRichardson1997>{{cite book |title=Routes to Slavery: Direction, Ethnicity, and Mortality in the Transatlantic Slave Trade |first=David |last=Eltis |author2=Richardson, David |page=87 |publisher=Routledge |year=1997 |access-date=24 November 2008 |url={{GBurl|kuXEzQZQmawC |pg=PA87}} |isbn=978-0-7146-4820-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Black Experience and the Empire |first=Philip D. |last=Morgan |author-link=Philip D. Morgan |author2=Hawkins, Sean |isbn=0-19-926029-X |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |page=82 |url={{GBurl|kG824iVy1BsC |pg=PA82}} }}</ref> The words "Bim" and "Bimshire" are recorded in the '']'' and '']''. Another possible source for "Bim" is reported to be in the ''Agricultural Reporter'' of 25 April 1868, where the Rev. N. Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, ]) suggested that Bimshire was "introduced by an old planter listing it as a county of England". Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Bimshire".<ref name="Carrington, Sean 2007 25"/> Lastly, in the ''Daily Argosy'' (of Demerara, i.e. Guyana) of 1652, there is a reference to Bim as a possible corruption of "Byam", the name of a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers of Byam became known as "Bims" and that this became a word for all Barbadians.<ref name="Carrington, Sean 2007 25"/>
]]]
Large numbers of ] people, mainly from ] and ], went to Barbados as ]s. Over the next several centuries the Celtic population was used as a buffer between the ] plantation owners and the larger ] population, variously serving as members of the Colonial militia and playing a strong role as allies of the larger African slave population in a long string of colonial rebellions. As well, in 1659, the English shipped many Irishmen and Scots off to Barbados as slaves. With King James II, and other kings in his dynasty, also sending Scots, and English, off to the isle. For instance in 1685, after the crushing of the Monmouth Rebellion. The modern descendants of this original slave population are sometimes derisively referred to as ], or locally 'ecky becky' and are some of the poorest inhabitants of modern Barbados. There has also been large scale intermarriage between the African and Celtic populations on the islands. Because the Africans could withstand tropical diseases and the climate much better than the white slave population, and also because those poor whites who had or acquired the means to emigrate often did so, Barbados turned from mainly Celtic in the 17th century to overwhelmingly black by the 20th century.


== History ==
As the ] industry developed into the main commercial enterprise, Barbados was divided into large plantation estates that replaced the small holdings of the early British settlers. Some of the displaced farmers relocated to British colonies in North America, most notably ]. To work the plantations, West Africans were transported and enslaved on Barbados and other Caribbean islands. The ] ceased in ]. Slaves though carried on being oppressed, causing, in ], the major slave rebellion, in the isle's history. One thousand people died in the revolt for freedom, with 144 slaves executed, and 123 deported, by the king's army. Eighteen years later slavery was abolished in the British Empire in ]. In Barbados and the rest of the British West Indian colonies, full emancipation from slavery was preceded by an apprenticeship period that lasted six years.


<!--Please keep this section as a summary and consider making additions to the main History of Barbados article-->
However, plantation owners and merchants of British descent still dominated local politics, due to the high income qualification required for voters. More than 70% of the population, many of them disenfranchised women, were excluded from the democratic process. It was not until the 1930s that the descendants of emancipated slaves began a movement for political rights. One of the leaders of this movement, Sir ], founded the ], then known as the ], in ]. Though a staunch supporter of the monarchy, Adams and his party demanded more for the poor and for the people. Progress toward a more democratic government in Barbados was made in ], when the exclusive income qualification was lowered and women were given the right to vote. By ] governmental control was wrestled from the planters and, in ], Adams became Premier of Barbados.
{{Main|History of Barbados}}


=== Geological history ===
From ] to ], Barbados was one of the ten members of the ], an organisation doomed by nationalistic attitude and by the fact that its members, as colonies of Britain, held limited legislative power. Adams' leadership of the Federation (he served as its first and only "Prime Minister"), his failed attempts to form similar unions, and his continued defence of the monarchy demonstrated that he was no longer in touch with the needs of his country. ], a fervent reformer, was to become the new people's advocate. Barrow had left the BLP and formed the ] as a liberal alternative to Adams' conservative government. To this day, Barrow remains a beloved hero in the eyes of Barbadians, as it was he who instituted many of the reforms and programs currently in place, including free education for all Barbadians, regardless of class or colour, and the School Meals system. By ], Barrow had replaced Adams as Premier and the DLP controlled the government.
Around 700,000 years ago, the island emerged from the ocean as a body of soft rock known as a ] rose from the mantle beneath its present-day location. This process is still ongoing, raising Barbados at an average rate of 30 centimeters per thousand years.<ref name="earthmagazine">{{cite web|url=https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-barbados-ascending-sea-level-staircase/|title=Travels in Geology: Barbados: Ascending the sea-level staircase|first=Terri|last=Cook|first2=Lon |last2=Abbott|website=Earth Magazine|date=7 June 2018|access-date=13 February 2023|archive-date=31 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531170107/https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/travels-geology-barbados-ascending-sea-level-staircase/|url-status=live}}</ref> Dozens of inland sea reefs still dominate coastal features within terraces and cliffs on the island.<ref name="earthmagazine"/>


=== Pre-colonial period ===
With the Federation dissolved, Barbados had reverted to its former status, that of a ]. The island negotiated its own independence at a constitutional conference with the United Kingdom in June ]. After years of peaceful and democratic progress, Barbados finally became an independent state within the ] on ], ], with Errol Barrow serving as its first Prime Minister.


Archeological evidence suggests humans may have first settled or visited the island {{circa|1600 BC}}.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados">{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Barbados |title= Barbados |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=9 July 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008193237/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52655/Barbados/54603/History |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Drewett, Peter (1993). "Excavations at Heywoods, Barbados, and the Economic Basis of the Suazoid Period in the Lesser Antilles", ''Journal of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society'' 38:113–137.</ref><ref>Fitzpatrick, Scott M., "A critical approach to c14 dating in the Caribbean", ''Latin American Antiquity'', 17 (4), pp. 389 ff.</ref> More permanent ] settlement of Barbados dates to about the 4th to 7th centuries AD, by a group known as the ]-Barrancoid.<ref>] ''A History of Barbados: From Amerindian Settlement to Caribbean Single Market'' (Cambridge University Press, 2007 edition).</ref> Settlements of ] from South America appeared by around 800 AD and again in the 12th–13th century.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The ] (called "]" by the Spanish) visited the island regularly, although there is no evidence of permanent settlement.<ref name="Watson">{{cite book |last=Watson |first=Karl |date=1997 |editor-last=Ali |editor-first=Arif |editor-link=Arif Ali (publisher) |title=Barbados |publisher=Hansib |chapter=A brief history of Barbados }}</ref>
==Politics==
<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->
{{morepolitics|country=Barbados}}
Barbados is a ]. Executive authority is vested in the ] and ], which is collectively responsible to the ]. The Prime Minister is appointed by the ] as the member of the House of Assembly best able to command the support of the majority of the members. The Prime Minister usually selects a cabinet from his party members in the legislature. The present government is proposing that Barbados become a ] within the ], with a ceremonial ] replacing the ]. This issue is still being hotly debated as the island has been governmentally autonomous for decades.


=== European arrival ===
Barbados has been an independent state in the Commonwealth since ], ], and as such functions as a parliamentary democracy modelled after the British ]. Control of the government is held by the Cabinet and is responsible to the Parliament, which comrpises a 30-seat ] and a 21-seat ]. Barbados is one of the most secure democracies in the Caribbean. ] is in the hands of the ] and his ]. The prime minister is usually the leader of the winning party in the elections for the House of Assembly, whose members are elected every five years. The Senate has 21 members, and its members are appointed by the governor general.


]
Barbados is a full and participating member of the ] (CARICOM), the ] (CSME), the ] (CCJ) ], and is expected to replace the UK ] for the entire English speaking Caribbean eventually], and the ] (ACS).
It is uncertain which European nation arrived first in Barbados, which probably would have been at some point in the 15th century or 16th century. One lesser-known source points to earlier revealed works antedating contemporary sources, indicating it could have been the Spanish.<ref name="Spanish Main"/> Many, if not most, believe the ], en route to Brazil,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barbados.org/history1.htm |title=AXSES Systems Caribbean Inc., The Barbados Tourism Encyclopaedia |publisher=Barbados.org |date=8 February 2007 |access-date= 4 July 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000116155652/http://barbados.org/history1.htm |archive-date= 16 January 2000 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52655/Barbados/54603/History |title=History of Barbados |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=4 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913025338/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52655/Barbados/54603/History |archive-date=13 September 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> were the first Europeans to come upon the island. The island was largely ignored by Europeans, though Spanish slave raiding is thought to have reduced the native population, with many fleeing to other islands.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/><ref>Beckles, ''A History of Barbados'' (2007), pp. 1–6.</ref>


=== English settlement in the 17th century ===
==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Barbados}}
]


] was visited by ] in 1751, in what is believed to have been his only trip outside the present-day United States.<ref name=boston>{{cite news |url=http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/caribbean/articles/2008/02/17/new_take_on_george_slept_here/ |title=New Take on George Slept Here |work=] |access-date=18 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093752/http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/caribbean/articles/2008/02/17/new_take_on_george_slept_here/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
]
The first English ship, which had arrived on 14 May 1625, was captained by John Powell. The first settlement began on 17 February 1627, near what is now ] (formerly Jamestown, after King James I of England),<ref>Beckles, ''A History of Barbados'' (2007), p. 7.</ref> by a group led by John Powell's younger brother, ], consisting of 80 settlers and 10 English ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.funbarbados.com/Sights/holetown.cfm |title=Holetown Barbados – Fun Barbados Sights |website=funbarbados.com |access-date=12 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912191845/http://www.funbarbados.com/Sights/holetown.cfm |archive-date=12 September 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Some sources state that some Africans were amongst these first settlers.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>
Barbados is a relatively flat island, rising gently to the central highland region, the highest point being ], in the Scotland district, at 336 ]s (1,100 ]) above sea level. The island is located in a slightly eccentric position in the ], to the east of the other ] islands. The ] is tropical, with a rainy season from June to October.


The settlement was established as a ] and funded by Sir ], a ] merchant who acquired the title to Barbados and several other islands. The first colonists were actually tenants, and much of the profits of their labour returned to Courten and his company.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117122343/http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10931 |date=17 November 2017 }}, 11 January 201, Shipstamps.co.uk</ref> Courten's title was later transferred to ], in what was called the "Great Barbados Robbery".{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} Carlisle then chose as governor ], who established the ] in 1639, in an effort to appease the planters, who might otherwise have opposed his controversial appointment.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/><ref name="Slavery and Economy in Barbados">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/barbados_01.shtml |title=Slavery and Economy in Barbados |access-date=9 July 2019 |archive-date=12 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212022845/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/barbados_01.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
Barbados is often spared from the amount of tropical storms and hurricanes during the rainy season due to its far eastern location in the Atlantic Ocean pushing it just outside of the principal ]. The island does get brushed or hit about every 3 years and the average number of years between direct hurricane hits is about once every 26.6 years.


In the period 1640–1660, the West Indies attracted more than two-thirds of the total number of English emigrants to the Americas. By 1650, there were 44,000 settlers in the West Indies, as compared to 12,000 on the ] and 23,000 in ]. Most English arrivals were indentured. After five years of labour, they were given "freedom dues" of about £10, usually in goods. Before the mid-1630s, they also received {{convert|5|to|10|acre|ha|abbr=off|0}} of land, but after that time the island filled and there was no more free land. During the ] (1650s) this included a large number of prisoners-of-war, vagrants and people who were illicitly kidnapped, who were forcibly transported to the island and sold as servants. These last two groups were predominantly Irish, as several thousand were infamously rounded up by English merchants and sold into servitude in Barbados and other Caribbean islands during this period, a practice that came to be known as being ''Barbadosed''.<ref name="Slavery and Economy in Barbados"/><ref>{{cite book |url=http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562527.003.0014 |title=Patrick J. Corish, The Cromwellian Regime, 1650–1660 |first=Patrick J. |last=Corish |chapter=The Cromwellian Regime, 1650–60 |date=12 March 2009 |pages=353–386 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562527.003.0014 |isbn=978-0-19-956252-7 |access-date=26 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406160124/http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562527.003.0014 |archive-date=6 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Cultivation of ] was thus handled primarily by European indentured labour until it became difficult to bring more indentured servants from England.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Marjoleine Kars|chapter=2 – Labor Camps in the Making |title=Blood on the River |date=2020|location=New York|pages=39–40|publisher=The New Press|quote=developed sugar plantations on the islands of Barbados and Jamaica, first with indentured and convict laborers from England and then, when that supply dried up, with enslaved Africans}}</ref>
In the parish of ] lies Barbados' capital and chief city ]. Locally ] is sometimes referred to as "The City," but the most common reference is simply "Town". Other towns scattered across the island include ], in the parish of ]; ], in the parish of ]; and ], in the parish of ].


] registers from the 1650s show that, for the white population, there were four times as many deaths as marriages. The mainstay of the infant colony's economy was the growth export of tobacco, but tobacco prices eventually fell in the 1630s as Chesapeake production expanded.<ref name="Slavery and Economy in Barbados"/>
The island is 23 kilometres (14 ]) at its widest point, and about 34 kilometres (21&nbsp;mi) long.


==== Effects of the English Civil War ====
==Parishes==
{{main|Parishes of Barbados}}
Barbados is currently divided into eleven administrative ]es:


{{Main|English overseas possessions in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms|Restoration in the English colonies}}
{{Parishes of Barbados}}
Around the same time, fighting during the ] and the ] spilled over into Barbados and Barbadian territorial waters. The island was not ] until after the execution of ], when the island's government fell under the control of Royalists (ironically the Governor, Philip Bell, remaining loyal to ] while the Barbadian ], under the influence of Humphrey Walrond, supported ]). To try to bring the recalcitrant colony to heel, the ] passed an act on 3 October 1650 prohibiting trade between England and Barbados, and because the island also traded with the Netherlands, further ] were passed, prohibiting any but English vessels trading with ]. These acts were a precursor to the ]. The ] sent an invasion force under the command of ], which arrived in October 1651. Ayscue, with a smaller force that included Scottish prisoners, surprised a larger force of Royalists, but had to resort to spying and diplomacy ultimately. On 11 January 1652, the Royalists in the House of Assembly led by ] surrendered, which marked the end of royalist privateering as a major threat.<ref>Blakemore, Richard J. and Murphy, Elaine. (2018). ''The British Civil Wars at Sea, 1638–1653''. Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press. p. 170. {{ISBN|9781783272297}}.</ref> The conditions of the surrender were incorporated into the ] (]), which was signed at the Mermaid's Inn, ], on 17 January 1652.<ref>{{cite web |first=Karl |last=Watson |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/barbados_01.shtml |title=The Civil War in Barbados |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202110646/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/barbados_01.shtml |archive-date=2 December 2010 |work=History in-depth |publisher=BBC |date=5 November 2009}}</ref>


=== Irish people in Barbados ===
==Economy==
{{main|Economy of Barbados}}
Historically, the economy of Barbados had been dependent on ] cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has been diversified into the ] and ] sectors. Offshore finance and information services have become increasingly important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a healthy interest into the island's light manufacturing sector. In the last ten years the Government has been seen as business-friendly and economically sound. Since the late 1990s the island has seen an increasing construction boom, the island began to see new hotels, redevelopments, new homes, office complexes, condominiums, and mansions being developed across the island.


{{Main|Irish people in Barbados}}
The government continues its efforts to reduce ], encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. Unemployment has been reduced from high levels of around 14 percent in the past to under 10 percent currently.
Starting with ], a large percentage of the white labourer population were indentured servants and involuntarily transported people from Ireland. Irish servants in Barbados were often treated poorly, and Barbadian planters gained a reputation for cruelty.<ref name="Monahan">{{cite book |last=Monahan |first=Michael J. |year=2011 |title=The Creolizing Subject: Race, Reason, and the Politics of Purity |publisher=] |edition=1st |isbn=978-0823234509}}</ref>{{rp|55}} The decreased appeal of an indenture on Barbados, combined with enormous demand for labour caused by sugar cultivation, led to the use of involuntary transportation to Barbados as a punishment for crimes, or for political prisoners, and also to the kidnapping of labourers who were deported to Barbados.<ref name="Monahan"/>{{rp|55}} Irish indentured servants were a significant portion of the population throughout the period when white servants were used for plantation labour in Barbados, and while a "steady stream" of Irish servants entered the Barbados throughout the 17th century, Cromwellian efforts to pacify Ireland created a "veritable tidal wave" of Irish labourers who were sent to Barbados during the 1650s.<ref name="Monahan"/>{{rp|56}} Due to inadequate historical records, the total number of Irish labourers sent to Barbados is unknown, and estimates have been "highly contentious".<ref name="Monahan"/>{{rp|56}} While one historical source estimated that as many as 50,000 Irish people were deported to either Barbados or Virginia during the 1650s, this estimate is "quite likely exaggerated".<ref name="Monahan"/>{{rp|56}} Another estimate that 12,000 Irish prisoners had arrived in Barbados by 1655 has been described as "probably exaggerated" by historian Richard B. Sheridan.<ref name="Sheridan">{{cite book |first=Richard B. |last=Sheridan |title=Sugar and Slavery: An Economic History of the British West Indies, 1623–1775 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QUV98bwrqscC |year=1974 |publisher=Canoe Press |isbn=978-976-8125-13-2 |access-date=19 July 2020 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726134707/https://books.google.com/books?id=QUV98bwrqscC |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|236}} According to historian ], it is "generally accepted" that approximately 10,000 Irish were deported to the West Indies and approximately 40,000 came as voluntary indentured servants, while many also travelled as voluntary, un-indentured emigrants.<ref name="Bartlett">Bartlett, Thomas. {{"'}}This famous island set in a Virginian sea': Ireland in the British Empire, 1690–1801". In Marshall, P. J.; Low, Alaine; and Louis, William Roger (1998). P. J. Marshall and Alaine Low (eds.). ''The Oxford History of the British Empire''. Volume II: The Eighteenth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press.</ref>{{rp|256}}


==== The sugar revolution ====
The economy contracted in ] and ] due to slowdowns in tourism, consumer spending and the impact of the ], but rebounded in ] and has showed growth since ]. Traditional trading partners include ], the ] (especially ]), the ], and the ].


The introduction of ] from ] in 1640 completely transformed society, the economy and the physical landscape. Barbados eventually had one of the world's biggest sugar industries.<ref name=beyond>{{Cite book |author-link=Arif Ali |author=Ali, Arif |title=Barbados: Just Beyond Your Imagination |pages=46, 48 |year=1997 |publisher=Hansib Publishing (Caribbean) Ltd |isbn=1-870518-54-3}}</ref> One group instrumental in ensuring the early success of the industry was the ], who had originally been expelled from the ], to end up in ].<ref name="beyond"/> As the effects of the new crop increased, so did the shift in the ethnic composition of Barbados and surrounding islands.<ref name="Slavery and Economy in Barbados"/> The workable sugar plantation required a large investment and a great deal of heavy labour. At first, Dutch traders supplied the equipment, financing, and African slaves, in addition to transporting most of the sugar to Europe.<ref name="Slavery and Economy in Barbados"/><ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> In 1644 the population of Barbados was estimated at 30,000, of which about 800 were of African ancestry, with the remainder mainly of English ancestry. These English smallholders were eventually bought out and the island filled up with large sugar plantations worked by African slaves.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> By 1660 there was near parity with 27,000 Black people and 26,000 White people. By 1666 at least 12,000 white smallholders had been bought out, died, or left the island, many choosing to emigrate to ] or the ] (notably the Carolinas).<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> As a result, Barbados enacted a ] as a way of legislatively controlling its enslaved Black population.<ref>Jerome Handler, ''New West Indian Guide'' 91 (2017) 30–55</ref> The law's text was influential in laws in other colonies.<ref name=menard> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125230814/https://books.google.com/books?id=FyB24GZrJxAC&pg=PA112 |date=25 January 2021 }}, Chapter 6 "The Expansion of Barbados", p. 112</ref>
Business links and investment flows have become substantial, as of ] the island saw from ] CAN$25 billion in investment holdings, placing it as one of Canada's top five destinations of Canadian ] (FDI). Businessman ] of ] in ], ], is said to be Barbados' richest permanent resident.


By 1680 there were 20,000 free whites and 46,000 enslaved Africans;<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> by 1724, there were 18,000 free whites and 55,000 enslaved Africans.<ref name="Slavery and Economy in Barbados"/>
In ] it was announced that Barbados' ] will be one of the final venues hosting the ].


=== 18th and 19th centuries ===
It is thought the year 2006 will be one of the busiest years for building construction ever in Barbados, as the building-boom on the island has entered a final stage for several multi-million dollar projects across the island. .


], Bridgetown. Bussa led the largest slave rebellion in Barbadian history.]]
==Characteristics and tourist information==
The harsh conditions endured by the slaves resulted in several planned slave rebellions, the largest of which was ] in 1816 which was rapidly suppressed by the colonial authorities.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> In 1819, another slave revolt broke out on Easter Day. The revolt was put down in blood, with heads being displayed on stakes. Nevertheless, the brutality of the repression shocked even England and strengthened the abolitionist movement.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.humanite.fr/noel-1831-la-grande-revolte-des-esclaves-jamaiquains-682318 |title=Noël 1831 La grande révolte des esclaves jamaïquains &#124; L'Humanité |language=fr |publisher=Humanite.fr |date=25 December 2019 |accessdate=2022-02-06 |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219221230/https://www.humanite.fr/noel-1831-la-grande-revolte-des-esclaves-jamaiquains-682318 |url-status=live }}</ref> Growing opposition to slavery led to its abolition in the British Empire in 1833.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The ] class retained control of political and economic power on the island, with most workers living in relative poverty.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>
{{main|Tourism in Barbados}}
The island of Barbados has a single major ], the ''] ''(] identifier ]). The ''Grantley Adams'' Airport receives daily flights by several major airlines, from points around the globe, as well as several smaller regional commercial airlines and charters. The airport serves as the main air-transportation hub for the Eastern Caribbean. The airport is currently under-going a US$100 million upgrade and expansion.


The ] killed more than 4,000 people on Barbados.<ref name="pr">{{cite web |author=Orlando Pérez |year=1970 |title=Notes on the Tropical Cyclones of Puerto Rico |publisher=San Juan, Puerto Rico National Weather Service |access-date=12 February 2007 |url=http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/perez_11_20.pdf |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629062539/http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/data_sub/perez_11_20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="deadliest">{{cite web |author1=Edward N. Rappaport |author2=Jose Fernandez-Partagas |author3=Jack Beven |year=1997 |title=The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492–1996 |publisher=] |access-date=2 January 2007 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadlyapp1.shtml |archive-date=21 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221030653/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadlyapp1.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1854, a ] epidemic killed more than 20,000 inhabitants.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129092003/http://countrystudies.us/caribbean-islands/83.htm |date=29 January 2012 }}. ].</ref>
The island is well developed and there are many local quality-hotels known internationally which offer world-class accommodations. Timeshares are available, and many of the smaller local hotels and private villas which dot the island have space available if booked months in advance. The southern and western coasts of Barbados are popular, with its calm light blue Caribbean sea and fine white and pinkish sandy beaches. Along the island's east coast the ] side are tumbling waves which are perfect for light ], but a little bit risky due to under-tow currents. The 'Soup Bowl' near to Bathsheba is a very popular spot with surfers all year round.


=== 20th century before independence ===
] districts are another treat in Barbados, with ample duty-free shopping. There is also a festive nightlife available in mainly tourist areas like the Saint Lawrence Gap. Other attractions include wildlife reserves, jewelry stores, ], helicopter rides, ], ]s (the largest being the annual crop over festival July/Aug), sight seeing, cave exploration, exotic ]s and fine ] ].


Deep dissatisfaction with the situation on Barbados led many to emigrate.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/><ref>. {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129062341/http://countrystudies.us/caribbean-islands/85.htm |date=29 January 2012 }}. ].</ref> Things came to a head in the 1930s during the ], as Barbadians ] better conditions for workers, the legalisation of trade unions and a widening of the franchise, which at that point was limited to male property owners.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> As a result of the increasing unrest the British sent a commission, called the ], in 1938, which recommended enacting many of the requested reforms on the islands.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> As a result, Afro-Barbadians began to play a much more prominent role in the colony's politics, with universal suffrage being introduced in 1950.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>
===Attractions, landmarks and points of interest===
Name / Parish Location:
{| valign=top
|-
|width=200 valign="top"|
- '''Christ Church'''
* ]
* ]


Prominent among these early activists was ], who helped found the ] (BLP) in 1938.<ref name=dnation>{{cite news |first=Sanka |last=Price |title='Political giant' passes away |url=http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/political-giant-passes-away/ |work=Daily Nation |publisher=Nation Publishing |date=10 March 2014 |access-date=7 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310110000/http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/political-giant-passes-away/ |archive-date=10 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He became the first Premier of Barbados in 1953, followed by fellow BLP-founder ] from 1958 to 1961. A group of left-leaning politicians who advocated swifter moves to independence broke off from the BLP and founded the ] (DLP) in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Party |url=http://www.dlpbarbadoscanada.com/the-party.html |work=Official Web Site |publisher=Democratic Labour Party |access-date=3 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204033621/http://www.dlpbarbadoscanada.com/the-party.html |archive-date=4 February 2012}}</ref><ref name=DN>Nohlen, D. (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p. 85. {{ISBN|978-0-19-928357-6}}</ref> The DLP subsequently won the ] and their leader ] became premier.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
- '''St. Andrew'''
* ]
* ]
* Chalky Mount potteries


Full internal self-government was enacted in 1961.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> Barbados joined the short-lived British ] from 1958 to 1962, later gaining full independence on 30 November 1966.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> Errol Barrow became the country's first prime minister. Barbados opted to remain within the ].
- '''St. George'''
* ]
* ]
* ]
|width=200 valign=top|


The effect of political independence meant that the United Kingdom government ceased to having sovereignty over Barbados, ], instead, reigning in the country became the ]. The ] then was represented locally by a ].<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010090239/http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/TheQueenandBarbados/Historyandpresentgovernment.aspx |archive-date=10 October 2012 |url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchAndCommonwealth/TheQueenandBarbados/Historyandpresentgovernment.aspx |title=History and present government – Barbados |author=HRM Queen Elizabeth II |year=2010 |publisher=] |access-date=10 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
- '''St. James'''
* ]


=== Post-independence era ===
- '''St. John'''
* ]
* ]


The Barrow government sought to diversify the economy away from agriculture, seeking to boost industry and the tourism sector. Barbados was also at the forefront of regional integration efforts, spearheading the creation of ] and ].<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The DLP lost the ] to the BLP under ]. Adams adopted a more conservative and strongly pro-Western stance, allowing the Americans to use Barbados as the launchpad for their ] in 1983.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-airport boss recalls Cubana crash |last=Carter |first=Gercine |url=http://www.nationnews.com/index.php/articles/view/ex-airport-boss-recalls-cubana-crash/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124195240/http://www.nationnews.com/index.php/articles/view/ex-airport-boss-recalls-cubana-crash/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2012 |newspaper=] |date=26 September 2010 |access-date=16 October 2011}}</ref> Adams died in office in 1985 and was replaced by ]; however, St. John lost the ], which saw the return of the DLP under Errol Barrow, who had been highly critical of the US intervention in Grenada. Barrow, too, died in office, and was replaced by ], who remained Prime Minister until 1994.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
- '''St. Joseph'''
* ]
* ]
* ]


] of the BLP won the ], remaining prime minister until 2008.<ref name=DN5>] (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p. 90. {{ISBN|978-0-19-928357-6}}.</ref> Arthur was a strong advocate of republicanism, though a planned referendum to replace Queen Elizabeth as Head of State in 2008 never took place.<ref name="cnn_republic">{{cite web |url=http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2005/02/07/vote.shtml |title=Barbados to vote on move to republic |author=Norman 'Gus' Thomas |publisher=Caribbean Net News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228082001/http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2005/02/07/vote.shtml |archive-date=2007-12-28}}</ref> The DLP won the ], but the new Prime Minister ] died in 2010 and was replaced by ]. The BLP returned to power ] under ], who became Barbados's first female prime minister.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.caribbeanelections.com/bb/elections/bb_results_2018.asp |title=Barbados General Election Results – 24 May 2018 |website=caribbeanelections.com |access-date=26 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190912213745/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/bb/elections/bb_results_2018.asp |archive-date=12 September 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|width=200 valign=top|


==== Transition to republic ====
- '''St. Lucy'''
* ]
* ]


{{Main|Republicanism in Barbados}}
- '''St. Michael'''
The Government of Barbados announced on 15 September 2020 that it intended to become a republic by 30 November 2021, the 55th anniversary of its independence, resulting in the replacement of the ] with a president elected through ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Yasharoff |first=Hannah |title=Barbados announces plan to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state next year|date=16 September 2020|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/09/16/queen-elizabeth-removed-barbados-head-state-barbados-says/5814409002/ |access-date=16 September 2020 |website=USA TODAY|archive-date=7 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007081350/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/09/16/queen-elizabeth-removed-barbados-head-state-barbados-says/5814409002/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/22/americas/barbados-elects-first-president-intl-hnk/index.html |title=Barbados elects first president, replacing UK Queen as head of state |website=CNN|date=22 October 2021 |access-date=23 October 2021 |archive-date=26 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026044014/https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/22/americas/barbados-elects-first-president-intl-hnk/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Barbados would then cease to be a ], but could maintain membership in the ], like ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Team |first=Caribbean Lifestyle Editorial |date=15 September 2020 |title=Barbados to become an Independent Republic in 2021 |url=https://caribbeanlifestyle.com/barbados-to-become-republic-by-2021/ |access-date=2020-09-15 |website=Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle|archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923111016/https://caribbeanlifestyle.com/barbados-to-become-republic-by-2021/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Speare-Cole |first=Rebecca |date=2020-09-16 |title=Barbados to remove Queen as head of state by November 2021 |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/barbados-queen-head-of-state-removal-a4548381.html |access-date=16 September 2020 |website=Evening Standard|archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813201215/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/barbados-queen-head-of-state-removal-a4548381.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=17 September 2020 |title=Wickham predicts Barbados' republic model to mirror Trinidad's |url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/09/17/wickham-predicts-barbados-republic-model-to-mirror-trinidads/ |url-status=live |editor1-last=Madden |editor1-first=Marlon |department=Top Featured Article |publisher=Barbados Today |publication-date=17 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813162631/https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/09/17/wickham-predicts-barbados-republic-model-to-mirror-trinidads/ |archive-date=13 August 2021 |access-date=4 June 2021 |url-access= |quote=As Barbados prepares to ditch the Queen as its Head of State and become a republic, a prominent political scientist is predicting that Prime Minister Mia Mottley will follow the Trinidad and Tobago model. What's more, Peter Wickham has shot down any idea of the Barbados Labour Party administration holding a referendum on the matter, saying that to do so would be a 'mistake'. 'There is no need to and I don't think it makes a lot of sense. We had a situation where since 1999 this indicated its desire to go in the direction of a republic. The Opposition has always supported it ... So, I think there is enough cohesion in that regard to go with it,' he said. }}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-54174794 |title=Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state |work=BBC News |date=16 September 2020 |access-date=18 March 2021 |archive-date=11 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311160055/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-54174794 |url-status=live}}</ref>
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On 20 September 2021, just over a full year after the announcement for the transition was made, the ] was introduced to the Parliament of Barbados. Passed on 6 October, the Bill made amendments to the Constitution of Barbados, introducing the office of the ] to replace the role of ] as Queen of Barbados.<ref name="billdetail">{{cite web |title=Barbados Parliament Bills Archive |url=https://www.barbadosparliament.com/bills/details/581 |website=barbadosparliament.com|access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008030047/https://www.barbadosparliament.com/bills/details/581 |url-status=live}}</ref> The following week, on 12 October 2021, incumbent ] ] was jointly nominated by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition as candidate to be the first ],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.barbadosparliament.com/uploads/sittings/attachments/11c0bb650b1c768dbdbee5a0208f6256.pdf |publisher=] |access-date=16 October 2021 |date=12 October 2021 |title=Letter to the Speaker RE Nomination of Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason as 1st President of Barbados |archive-date=15 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015205955/https://www.barbadosparliament.com/uploads/sittings/attachments/11c0bb650b1c768dbdbee5a0208f6256.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> and was subsequently ] on 20 October.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/19661398.barbados-just-appointed-first-president-becomes-republic/ |title=Barbados just appointed its first president as it becomes a republic |first=Kirsteen |last=Paterson|work=] |location=Scotland|date=20 October 2021|access-date=21 October 2021 |archive-date=21 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021191804/https://www.thenational.scot/news/19661398.barbados-just-appointed-first-president-becomes-republic/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Mason took office on 30 November 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://constitutionnet.org/news/barbados-parliament-votes-amend-constitution-paving-way-republican-status#:~:text=republican%20status%20%7C%20ConstitutionNet-,In%20Barbados%2C%20parliament%20votes%20to%20amend%20constitution%2C%20paving,the%20way%20to%20republican%20status&text=Parliament%20voted%20by%20a%2025,into%20force%20by%20November%2030 |title=In Barbados, parliament votes to amend constitution, paving the way to republican status |date=30 September 2021 |publisher=ConstitutionNet |access-date=9 October 2021 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008170938/http://constitutionnet.org/news/barbados-parliament-votes-amend-constitution-paving-way-republican-status#:~:text=republican%20status%20%7C%20ConstitutionNet-,In%20Barbados%2C%20parliament%20votes%20to%20amend%20constitution%2C%20paving,the%20way%20to%20republican%20status&text=Parliament%20voted%20by%20a%2025,into%20force%20by%20November%2030 |url-status=live}}</ref> ], the heir apparent to the Barbadian Crown at the time, attended the swearing-in ceremony in Bridgetown at the invitation of the Government of Barbados.<ref>{{cite news |title=Barbados becomes a republic and parts ways with the Queen |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59470843 |access-date=10 May 2023 |work=BBC News |date=30 November 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130120934/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59470843 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Queen Elizabeth sent a message of congratulations to President Mason and the people of Barbados, saying: "As you celebrate this momentous day, I send you and all Barbadians my warmest good wishes for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future."<ref>{{cite web |title=A message from The Queen to the President and people of Barbados |url=https://www.royal.uk/message-queen-president-and-people-barbados |website=The Royal Family |access-date=30 November 2021 |date=30 November 2021 |archive-date=1 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201020537/https://www.royal.uk/message-queen-president-and-people-barbados |url-status=live }}</ref>
- '''St. Peter'''
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A survey that was conducted between 23 October 2021 and 10 November 2021, by the ] showed 34% of respondents being in favour of transitioning to a republic, while 30% were indifferent. Notably, no overall majority was found in the survey; with 24% not indicating a preference and the remaining 12% being opposed to the removal of Queen Elizabeth.<ref>{{cite web|date=2021-12-21|title=Survey shows support for republic|url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/12/21/survey-shows-support-for-republic/|access-date=22 December 2021|website=Barbados Today|archive-date=21 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221200757/https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/12/21/survey-shows-support-for-republic/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=20 December 2021|title=UWI poll: Republic preferred option|first=Sheria|last=Brathwaithe|url=https://www.nationnews.com/2021/12/20/uwi-poll-republic-preferred-option/|access-date=22 December 2021|website=nationnews.com|archive-date=22 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211222044016/https://www.nationnews.com/2021/12/20/uwi-poll-republic-preferred-option/|url-status=live}}</ref>
- '''St. Philip'''
* ]


On 20 June 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in by Jeffrey Gibson (who at the time was serving temporarily as Acting President of Barbados) to review the Constitution of Barbados.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-20 |title=Members of Constitutional Review Commission sworn in |url=https://www.nationnews.com/2022/06/20/members-constitutional-review-commission-sworn/ |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=nationnews.com |archive-date=21 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621191900/https://www.nationnews.com/2022/06/20/members-constitutional-review-commission-sworn/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
- '''St. Thomas'''

* ]
The commission was given a 15-month timeline to complete its work, which included consulting the public about the new republic and drafting a constitution.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Constitutional Reform Commission of Barbados: Much Expectation, Great Skepticism|last1=Barrow-Giles |first1=Cynthia |last2=Yearwood|first2=Rico|url=https://constitutionnet.org/news/constitutional-reform-commission-barbados-much-expectation-great-skepticism|date=12 August 2022|work=ConstitutionNet}}</ref> Thus, the CRC engaged the public in a number of public meetings, lectures, and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Meetings|url=https://www.crcbarbados.com/public-meetings|work=Constitutional Reform Commission|date=15 January 2024 }}</ref> The report was announced delayed by August 2023,<ref>{{cite web|title=Report of Constitutional Reform Commission delayed until 2024|last=Joseph |first=Emmanuel|work=Barbados Today |url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/08/23/not-ready/amp/|date=23 August 2023}}</ref> with the final report submitted 30 June 2024.<ref>{{cite web|title=Constitutional Reform Commission gets another extension|work=Barbados Today|url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/04/26/constitutional-reform-commission-gets-another-extension/
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|date=26 April 2024}}</ref>

== Geography and climate ==

{{Main|Geography of Barbados}}
]
Barbados is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other ] Islands. Barbados is the easternmost island in the ]. It is {{convert|34|km|mi|abbr=off}} long and up to {{cvt|23|km|mi}} wide, covering an area of {{cvt|439|km2}}.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-08-02 |title=Barbados country profile |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18723928 |access-date=2023-10-02 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002085534/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18723928 |url-status=live }}</ref> It lies about {{cvt|168|km}} east of both the countries of ] and ]; {{cvt|180|km}} south-east of ] and {{cvt|400|km}} north-east of ]. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west, the ]. The island rises gently to the central highland region known as Scotland District, with the highest point being ] {{cvt|340|m|ft}} above sea level.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>

In Barbados ] is around 15% of the total land area, equivalent to 6,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 6,300 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 0 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be ] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 5% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 1% of the forest area was reported to be under ], 0% ] and 99% with ownership listed as other or unknown.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Barbados |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BRB/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

In the parish of ] lies Barbados's capital and main city, ], containing one third of the country's population.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> Other major towns scattered across the island include ], in the parish of ]; ], in the parish of ]; and ], in the parish of ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

=== Geology ===

Barbados lies on the boundary of the ] and the ]s.<ref>{{cite news |title=Geologic History of Barbados Beaches |first=Gabi |last=Logan |url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/geologic-history-barbados-beaches-57660.html |newspaper=] |access-date=2 July 2011 |quote=Barbados lies directly over the intersection of the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate in a region known as a subduction zone. Beneath the ocean floor, the South American Plate slowly slides below the Caribbean Plate. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322063852/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/geologic-history-barbados-beaches-57660.html |archive-date=22 March 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The ] of the South American Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate scrapes sediment from the South American Plate and deposits it above the subduction zone forming an ]. The rate of this depositing of material allows Barbados to rise at a rate of about {{cvt|25|mm|in|0}} per 1,000 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barbadosbeachhouse.com/barbados_sightseeing_animal_flower_cave.php |title=Barbados Sightseeing – Animal Flower Cave |year=2010 |work=Leigh Designs |publisher=Little Bay House |access-date=10 July 2011 |quote=The Animal flower Cave is the island's lone accessible sea-cave and was discovered from the sea in 1780 by two English explorers. The cave's coral floor is estimated to be 400,000 to 500,000 years old and the "younger" coral section above the floor is about 126,000 years old. The dating was carried out by the German Geographical Institute, and visitors can see a "map" of the dating work in the bar and restaurant. The cave now stands some six feet above the high tide mark even though it was formed at sea level. This is because Barbados is rising about one inch per 1,000 years, which is yet another indication of the cave's age. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111212233710/http://www.barbadosbeachhouse.com/barbados_sightseeing_animal_flower_cave.php |archive-date=12 December 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> This subduction means ] the island is composed of ] roughly {{cvt|90|m|ft}} thick, where reefs formed above the sediment. The land slopes in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. A large proportion of the island is circled by ].<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>

The erosion of ] in the northeast of the island, in the Scotland District, has resulted in the formation of various ]s and ]. On the ] east coast of the island ], including ], have been created due to the limestone composition of the area. Also notable in the island is the rocky cape known as ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barbadospocketguide.com/barbados-attractions/beaches-and-bays/north-coast-beaches/pico-teneriffe.html |title=Pico Teneriffe – Barbados Pocket Guide |last=Gloria |website=barbadospocketguide.com |access-date=3 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127022828/http://www.barbadospocketguide.com/barbados-attractions/beaches-and-bays/north-coast-beaches/pico-teneriffe.html |archive-date=27 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> or Pico de Tenerife, which is named after the fact that the island of ] in Spain is the first land east of Barbados according to the belief of the locals.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

=== Climate ===

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The country generally experiences two seasons, one of which includes noticeably higher rainfall. Known as the "]", this period runs from June to December. By contrast, the "]" runs from December to May. Annual precipitation ranges between {{cvt|40|and|90|in|mm|order=flip}}.
From December to May the average temperatures range from {{convert|21|to|31|C|F}}, while between June and November, they range from {{convert|23|to|31|C|F}}.<ref name="weather1">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003280 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070220165443/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003280 | archive-date =20 February 2007 |title=Average and Record Conditions at Bridgetown, Barbados| access-date =10 September 2009 |work=BBC Weather}}</ref>

On the ] scale, much of Barbados is regarded as a ] (Am). However, breezes of {{cvt|12|to|16|km/h|0}} abound throughout the year and give Barbados a ] which is moderately tropical.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

Infrequent natural hazards include earthquakes, ]s, and ]. Barbados lies outside the ] for ] activity in the Atlantic, and is often spared the worst effects of the region's storms during the rainy season. On average, a major hurricane makes ] in Barbados about once every 26 years. The last significant hit from a hurricane to cause severe damage to Barbados was ] in 1955; in 2010 the island was struck by ], but this caused only minor damage across the country as it was only at Tropical Storm strength at the time of impact.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105151112/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11660080 |date=5 November 2015 }}. BBC News, 30 October 2010.</ref>

=== Environmental issues ===

]]]
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Barbados is susceptible to environmental pressures. As one of the world's most ], the government worked during the 1990s<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724024004/http://www.cep.unep.org/pubs/Techreports/tr43en/Barbados.htm |date=24 July 2013 }}. Cep.unep.org. Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref> to aggressively integrate the growing south coast of the island into the Bridgetown Sewage Treatment Plant to reduce contamination of offshore coral reefs.<ref>, World Resources Institute</ref><ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724030532/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=4130 |date=24 July 2013 }}. Barbadosadvocate.com. Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref> As of the first decade of the 21st century, a second treatment plant has been proposed along the island's west coast. Being so densely populated, Barbados has made great efforts to protect its underground ]s.<ref name="barbadosadvocate.com"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724030614/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=185 |date=24 July 2013 }}. Barbadosadvocate.com (24 March 2008). Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref>

As a coral-limestone island, Barbados is highly permeable to seepage of surface water into the earth. The government has placed great emphasis on protecting the catchment areas that lead directly into the huge network of underground aquifers and streams.<ref name="barbadosadvocate.com"/> On occasion illegal squatters have breached these areas, and the government has removed squatters to preserve the cleanliness of the underground springs which provide the island's drinking water.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421100046/http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/squatters-get-thumbs-down-from-mp-forde/ |date=21 April 2014 }}. Nationnews.com (30 June 2010). Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref>

The government has placed a huge emphasis on keeping Barbados clean with the aim of protecting the environment and preserving offshore coral reefs which surround the island.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Adhya |first1=Sarah Wakefield |title=Barbados Commits to Ambitious Ocean Conservation |url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/barbados-blue-bond-ocean-conservation/ |website=The Nature Conservancy |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616174428/https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/barbados-blue-bond-ocean-conservation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Many initiatives to mitigate human pressures on the coastal regions of Barbados and seas come from the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coastal.gov.bb/ |title=Welcome to Coastal Zone Management Unit – Coastal Zone Management Unit |access-date=24 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301091103/http://www.coastal.gov.bb/ |archive-date=1 March 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724030519/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=local&NewsID=22569 |date=24 July 2013 }}. Barbadosadvocate.com (4 February 2012). Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref> Barbados has nearly {{convert|90|km|abbr=off}} of coral reefs just offshore and two protected marine parks have been established off the west coast.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128032823/http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes/folkestone.html |date=28 November 2012 }}, The University of the West Indies.</ref> Overfishing is another threat which faces Barbados.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111223113158/http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/FI-CP_BB/en |date=23 December 2011 }}, UN-FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department</ref>

Although on the opposite side of the Atlantic, and some {{convert|4800|km|abbr=off}} west of Africa, Barbados is one of many places in the American continent that experience heightened levels of ] from the ].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Prospero, Joseph M. |title=Saharan Dust Impacts and Climate Change |pages=60–61 |journal=Oceanography |volume=19 |issue=2 |date=June 2006 |doi=10.5670/oceanog.2006.65|doi-access=free}}</ref> Some particularly intense dust episodes have been blamed partly for the impacts on the health of coral reefs<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502091350/http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/african_dust/ |date=2 May 2012 }}. Coastal.er.usgs.gov (15 April 2014). Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref> surrounding Barbados or ] episodes,<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212215007/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Dust/ |date=12 February 2012 }}, NASA</ref> but evidence has not wholly supported the former claim.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724092116/http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/globaltobacco/ProjectDetail.cfm?project_id=7780&country_code=BB |date=24 July 2013 }}. Commprojects.jhsph.edu. Retrieved April 2014.</ref>

Access to ] in Barbados is much lower than world average. In 2016, Barbados had 0.17 global hectares<ref name=footprintdata>{{cite web |url=http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends?cn=14&type=BCpc,EFCpc |title=Country Trends |publisher=Global Footprint Network |access-date=24 June 2020 |archive-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808050235/http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends?cn=14&type=BCpc,EFCpc |url-status=live }}</ref> of biocapacity per person within its territory, much less than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lin |first1=David |last2=Hanscom |first2=Laurel |last3=Murthy |first3=Adeline |last4=Galli |first4=Alessandro |last5=Evans |first5=Mikel |last6=Neill |first6=Evan |last7=Mancini |first7=MariaSerena |last8=Martindill |first8=Jon |last9=Medouar |first9=FatimeZahra|last10=Huang|first10=Shiyu |last11=Wackernagel |first11=Mathis |year=2018 |title=Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018 |journal=Resources|volume=7 |issue=3 |page=58 |doi=10.3390/resources7030058|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2016 Barbados used 0.84 global hectares of biocapacity per person - their ] of consumption. This means they use approximately five times as much biocapacity as Barbados contains. As a result, Barbados is running a biocapacity deficit.<ref name=footprintdata/>

=== Wildlife ===

{{Main|Fauna of Barbados}}
Barbados is host to four species of nesting turtles (], ], ]s, and ]) and has the second-largest hawksbill turtle-breeding population in the Caribbean.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315191127/http://www.thestar.com/travel/caribbean/article/1144716--caribbean-travel-swim-with-the-turtles-in-barbados |date=15 March 2012 }}. Thestar.com (13 March 2012). Retrieved 20 April 2014.</ref> The driving of vehicles on beaches can crush nests buried in the sand and such activity is discouraged in nesting areas.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319084119/http://www.divebarbadosblue.com/snorkeling/turtles-shipwrecks/|date=19 March 2012}}, Barbados Blue Inc.</ref>

Barbados is also the host to the ]. The green monkey is found in West Africa from Senegal to the Volta River. It has been introduced to the Cape Verde islands off north-western Africa, and the West Indian islands of Saint Kitts, Nevis, Saint Martin, and Barbados. It was introduced to the West Indies in the late 17th century when slave trade ships travelled to the Caribbean from West Africa. The green monkey is considered a very curious and mischievous/troublesome animal by locals.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Overing |first1=Matt |date=3 August 2023 |title=MEDDLESOME MONKEYS: CENTRE STUDENTS RESEARCH ONGOING DILEMMA IN BARBADOS |url=https://www.centre.edu/news/meddlesome-monkeys-centre-students-research-ongoing-dilemma-barbados |url-status=live |department= |publisher=] |publication-date=3 August 2023 |no-pp= |access-date=9 March 2024 |url-access= |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310060238/https://www.centre.edu/news/meddlesome-monkeys-centre-students-research-ongoing-dilemma-barbados }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sealy |first1=Shane |author-link1= |last2=Wood |first2=Chris |date=14 October 2014 |title=CBC Barbados – Monkey on the Evening News |url=https://www.facebook.com/CBCNews.bb/videos/its-monkey-business-in-thorpes-cottage-st-georgeresidents-from-the-area-say-they/1487374074876631/ |url-status=live |department= |work=CBC TV-8 News |publisher=Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation |publication-date=8 October 2014 |access-date=9 March 2024 |url-access= |archive-date=10 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310060238/https://www.facebook.com/CBCNews.bb/videos/its-monkey-business-in-thorpes-cottage-st-georgeresidents-from-the-area-say-they/1487374074876631/ }}</ref>

== Demographics ==

{{Main|Demographics of Barbados|Barbadians}}
]
The 2010 national census conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service reported a resident population of 277,821, of which 144,803 were female and 133,018 were male.<ref name=census>{{cite report |url=http://www.barstats.gov.bb/files/documents/PHC_2010_Census_Volume_1.pdf |title=2010 Population and Housing Census |volume=1 |page=i |publisher=Barbados Statistical Service |date=September 2013 |access-date=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118220332/http://www.barstats.gov.bb/files/documents/PHC_2010_Census_Volume_1.pdf |archive-date=18 January 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The life expectancy for Barbados residents {{As of|2020|lc=y}} is 80 years. The average life expectancy is 83 years for females and 79 years for males (2020).<ref name="cia"/> Barbados and Japan have the highest per capita occurrences of ]s in the world.<ref>Best, Tony (9 April 2005){{cite web |url=http://www.nationnews.com/story/284159291378094.php |title=Bajan secrets to living long |access-date=27 June 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211110656/http://www.nationnews.com/story/284159291378094.php |archive-date=11 December 2007}} . nationnews.com.</ref>

The crude birth rate is 12.23 births per 1,000 people, and the crude death rate is 8.39 deaths per 1,000 people. The infant mortality rate was 11.057 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, according to UNICEF.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Data Warehouse |url=https://data.unicef.org/resources/data_explorer/unicef_f/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=UNICEF DATA |archive-date=13 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113171216/https://data.unicef.org/resources/data_explorer/unicef_f/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbados (BRB) – Demographics, Health & Infant Mortality |url=https://data.unicef.org/country/brb/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=UNICEF DATA |archive-date=13 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113172711/https://data.unicef.org/country/brb/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Ethnicity ===
]
Close to 90% of all Barbadians (also known colloquially as "Bajan") are of ] ancestry ("]") and mixed ancestry. The remainder of the population includes groups of Europeans ("Anglo-Bajans" / "Euro-Bajans") mainly from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Italy.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Other European groups consisted of the French, Austrians, Spaniards, and Russians. Asians, predominantly from Hong Kong and India (both Hindu and Muslim) make up less than 1% of the population.
Other groups in Barbados include people from the United States and Canada. Barbadians who return after years of residence in the United States and children born in America to Bajan parents are called "Bajan Yankees", a term considered derogatory by some.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Byfield, Judith Ann-Marie |author2=Denzer, LaRay |author3=Morrison, Anthea |title=Gendering the African diaspora: women, culture, and historical change in the Caribbean and Nigerian hinterland |url={{GBurl|C6_aWWN5aoUC |pg=PA39}} |year=2010 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-22153-7 |pages=39–}}</ref> Generally, Bajans recognise and accept all "children of the island" as Bajans, and refer to each other as such.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

The biggest communities outside the Afro-Caribbean community are:

# The ], an important part of the economy due to the increase of immigrants from partner country{{clarify|date=October 2021}} ]. There are reports of a growing ] diaspora originating from Guyana and India starting around 1990. Predominantly from southern India, they are growing in size but are smaller than the equivalent communities in Trinidad and Guyana.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2006/09/060906_guyaneseinbdos.shtml |title=BBCCaribbean.com &#124; Are Guyanese welcome in Barbados? |first=Bertram |last=Niles| publisher= British Broadcasting Corporation (Caribbean Bureau)|date=7 September 2006|access-date=8 July 2016 |archive-date=11 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911063819/http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2006/09/060906_guyaneseinbdos.shtml |url-status=live}}.</ref><ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The Muslim Barbadians of Indian origin are largely of ]i ancestry. Many small businesses in Barbados are run and operated by Muslim-Indian Bajans.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Amadou Mahtar M'Bow |author2=M. Ali Kettani |title=Islam and Muslims in the American Continent |url={{GBurl|_d_XAAAAMAAJ}} |year=2001 |publisher=Center of Historical, Economical and Social Studies}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Rhoda Reddock |title=Ethnic minorities in Caribbean society |url={{GBurl|RaIMAQAAMAAJ}} |year=1996 |publisher=I.S.E.R., The University of the West Indies |isbn=978-976-618-024-9}}</ref>
# Euro-Bajans (5% of the population)<ref name="cia"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123091149/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/barbados/ |date=23 January 2021 }} CIA World Factbook</ref> have settled in Barbados since the 17th century, originating from England, Ireland, Portugal, and Scotland. In 1643, there were 37,200 whites in Barbados (86% of the population).<ref>Watson, Karl (17 February 2011) , BBC | History. {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212022845/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/barbados_01.shtml |date=12 February 2012 }}, BBC.</ref> More commonly they are known as "]". Euro-Bajans introduced folk music, such as ] and Highland music, and certain place names, such as "Scotland District", a hilly region in the parish of St. Andrew. Among White Barbadians there exists an underclass known as ] comprising followers of the ] after his defeat at the ], as well as the descendants of ] indentured labourers and prisoners imported to the island.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Rodgers, Nini |title=The Irish in the Caribbean 1641–1837: An Overview |journal=Irish Migration Studies in Latin America |volume=5 |issue=3 |date=November 2007 |pages=145–156 |url=http://www.irlandeses.org/0711rodgers2.htm |access-date=15 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119044057/http://www.irlandeses.org/0711rodgers2.htm |archive-date=19 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Many additionally moved on to become the earliest settlers of modern-day ] and ] in the United States. Today the Redlegs number only around 400.<ref>{{cite news |date=19 December 2009 |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2009/0117/1232059655355.html |title=Remnants of an indentured people |newspaper=] |quote="Today, behind the facade of a lush green, rural setting, the descendants of those transported still remain – a poor, white population of around 400 known as the Red Legs." |access-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022184928/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/travel/2009/0117/1232059655355.html |archive-date=22 October 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>
# Chinese-Barbadians are a small portion of Barbados's wider Asian population.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> Chinese food and culture is becoming part of everyday Bajan culture.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
# Lebanese and Syrians form the island's ] Barbadian community.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>
# ] arrived in Barbados just after the first settlers in 1627. Bridgetown is the home of ], one of the oldest Jewish synagogues in the Americas, dating from 1654, though the current structure was erected in 1833, replacing one ruined by the hurricane of 1831.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewish-history.com/occident/volume2/sep1844/barbadoes.html |title=Jews in Barbadoes |website=jewish-history.com |access-date=26 July 2017 |archive-date=25 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025185350/http://www.jewish-history.com/occident/volume2/sep1844/barbadoes.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Tombstones in the neighbouring cemetery date from the 1630s. Now under the care of the Barbados National Trust,<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://barbadosnationaltrust.com/about/ |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Barbados National Trust |language=en-US}}</ref> the site was deserted in 1929 but was saved and restored by the Jewish community beginning in 1986.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
# In the 17th century, ] were sent from the United Kingdom to work as slaves in the plantations in Barbados.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/features/feature-roma-and-gypsy-slavery |title=Feature – Roma and Gypsy Slavery |website=Travellers Times|date=24 February 2017 |access-date=1 September 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027211246/https://www.travellerstimes.org.uk/features/feature-roma-and-gypsy-slavery |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Languages ===

English is the ] of Barbados, and is used for communications, administration, and public services all over the island. In its capacity as the official language of the country, the standard of English tends to conform to vocabulary, pronunciations, spellings, and conventions akin to, but not exactly the same as, those of ]. For most people, however, ] is the language of everyday life. It does not have a standardised written form, but it is used by over 90% of the population.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

=== Religion ===

{{Main|Religion in Barbados}}
], Bridgetown]]

Christianity is the largest religion in Barbados, with the largest denomination being ] (23.9% of the population in 2019).<ref name="2019religion">{{cite web |publisher=] |title=Barbados 2019 International Religious Freedom Report |url=https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BARBADOS-2019-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf |access-date=30 September 2021 |archive-date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930135328/https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BARBADOS-2019-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Other Christian denominations with significant followings in Barbados are the ] (administered by ]), ] (19.5%), ]es, the ] and ]s.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The ] was the official state religion until its legal disestablishment by the Parliament of Barbados following independence.<ref name="2019religion"/><ref>{{cite book |url=http://104.238.85.55/en/ShowPdf/375.pdf |chapter=375: Anglican Church Act |title=Laws of Barbados |year=2008 |publisher=Government of Barbados |access-date=6 June 2021 |archive-date=14 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714013752/http://104.238.85.55/en/ShowPdf/375.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2019, 21% of Barbadians report having ], making the non-religious the second largest group after Anglicans.<ref name=FOTR/> Smaller religions in Barbados include ], ], the ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahai.org/dir/bahaullah |title=Baha'u'llah |publisher=Bci.org |access-date=4 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828163913/http://www.bahai.org/dir/bahaullah |archive-date=28 August 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> and ].<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/>

The state is considered ], guaranteeing ] to all and featuring only symbolic allusions to a higher power in the preamble to the constitution.<ref name=FOTR>{{cite web |url=https://fot.humanists.international/countries/americas-caribbean/barbados/ |title=Freedom of Thought Report: Barbados |work=] |publisher=] |date=16 October 2020 |access-date=30 September 2021 |archive-date=30 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930133950/https://fot.humanists.international/countries/americas-caribbean/barbados/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Government and politics ==

{{Main|Government of Barbados|Politics of Barbados}}
] in Bridgetown]]
Barbados has been an independent country since 30 November 1966.<ref>{{cite book |title=Fransman's British Nationality Law |first=Laurie |last=Fransman |page=848 |publisher=A&C Black |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84592-095-1}}</ref> It functions as a ] modelled on the British ]. The ] is the ] – presently ] – elected by the ] for a term of four years, and advised on matters of the Barbadian state by the ], who is ]. There are 30 representatives within the ], the lower chamber of Parliament. In the ], the upper chamber of Parliament, there are 21 senators.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parliament |url=https://www.gov.bb/Government/parliament |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=Official Website of the Barbaros Government |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403054759/https://www.gov.bb/Government/parliament |url-status=live }}</ref>

The ] is the supreme law of the country.<ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121215130425/http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Barbados/barbados66.html |date=15 December 2012 }} (1966) version.</ref> Legislation is passed by the Parliament of Barbados but does not have the force of law unless the President grants her assent to that law. The right to withhold assent is absolute and cannot be overridden by Parliament.<ref>Pursuant to section 58 of the {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202231431/https://www.oas.org/dil/The_Constitution_of_Barbados.pdf |date=2 December 2021 }}<br>As amended by section 26 of the {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019153950/https://www.barbadosparliament.com/uploads/bill_resolution/56f53e308108b4b315d1b367c2914f7a.pdf |date=19 October 2021 }}</ref> The Attorney General heads ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

During the 1990s, at the suggestion of ]'s ], Barbados attempted a ] with Trinidad and Tobago and ]. The project stalled after the then prime minister of Barbados, ], became ill and his ] lost the next general election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20030720T080000-0500_46578_OBS_CHASING_AFTER_AN_ELUSIVE_UNION.asp |title=Chasing after an elusive union |access-date=14 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624141705/http://jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20030720T080000-0500_46578_OBS_CHASING_AFTER_AN_ELUSIVE_UNION.asp |archive-date=24 June 2009 |work=Jamaica Observer |date=20 July 2003}}</ref><ref> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219042747/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/derumshoplime/message/18746 |date=19 February 2012 }}. NationNews.com. 14 July 2003</ref> Barbados continues to share close ties with Trinidad and Tobago and with Guyana, claiming the highest number of Guyanese immigrants after the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Barbados is a party to the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://asp.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/asp/states%20parties/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states/Pages/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809030312/https://asp.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/asp/states%20parties/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states/Pages/latin%20american%20and%20caribbean%20states.aspx |url-status=live |title=Latin American and Caribbean State Parties to the Rome Statute|publisher= International Criminal Court|access-date=10 July 2021 |archive-date=9 August 2021}}</ref>

=== Political culture ===

{{Main|Elections in Barbados}}
Barbados functions as a ]. The dominant political parties are the ] and the incumbent ]. Since independence on 30 November 1966, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has governed from 1966 to 1976; 1986 to 1994; and from 2008 to 2018; and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has governed from 1976 to 1986; 1994 to 2008; and from 2018 to present.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

=== Foreign relations ===

{{Main|Foreign relations of Barbados}}
Barbados follows a policy of ] and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states. Barbados is a full and participating member of the ] (CARICOM), ] (CSME), the ] (ACS),<ref>, The Barbados government's Regional and International affiliations</ref> the ] (OAS), the ], and the ] (CCJ). In 2005, Barbados replaced the ] with the ] as its final court of appeal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2003 |url=https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Barbados/amendment03.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Barbados/amendment03.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Barbados has been a member of ] since the group's founding in 1992.<ref name="singaporebook">{{Cite book|title=50 Years of Singapore and the United Nations |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=978-981-4713-03-0 |year=2015 }}access-date=28 March 2024</ref>

==== World Trade Organization, European Commission, CARIFORUM ====

Barbados is an original member (1995) of the ] (WTO) and participates actively in its work. It grants at least MFN treatment to all its trading partners. ] relations and cooperation with Barbados are carried out both on a bilateral and a regional basis. Barbados is party to the ], through which, {{as of|2007|December}}, it is linked by an ] with the ]. The pact involves the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) subgroup of the ] (ACP). CARIFORUM is the only part of the wider ACP-bloc that has concluded the full regional trade-pact with the ]. There are also ongoing EU-] (CELAC) and EU-] dialogues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eeas.europa.eu/barbados/ |title=European Union – EEAS (European External Action Service) &#124; EU Relations with Barbados |publisher=Europa (web portal) |date=19 June 2014 |access-date=10 November 2018 |archive-date=30 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130080648/https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/barbados_en |url-status=live }}</ref>

Trade policy has also sought to protect a small number of domestic activities, mostly food production, from foreign competition, while recognising that most domestic needs are best met by imports.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TRADE POLICY REVIEW BARBADOS |url=https://www.foreign.gov.bb/?jet_download=1121 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603180500/https://www.foreign.gov.bb/?jet_download=1121 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |page=7 |quote=Trade policy has also sought to protect a small number of domestic activities, mostly food production, from foreign competition, while recognizing that most domestic needs are best met by imports.}}</ref>

==== The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994 ====

On 6 July 1994, at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados, representatives of eight countries signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties 1994. The countries which were represented were: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.<ref>{{cite web |last1=REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO |title=Legal Supplement |url=http://www.ird.gov.tt/Media/Default/IRDTreaties/DTT-Caricom--1994.pdf |website=ird.gov.tt |access-date=27 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507154606/http://ird.gov.tt/Media/Default/IRDTreaties/DTT-Caricom--1994.pdf |archive-date=7 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 19 August 1994, a representative of the Government of Guyana signed a similar treaty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DOUBLE TAXATION AGREEMENT |url=https://caricom.org/treaties/double-taxation-agreement/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530072346/https://caricom.org/treaties/double-taxation-agreement/ |archive-date=30 May 2023}}</ref>

=== Military and law enforcement ===

The ] has roughly 800 members. Within it, service members aged 14 to 18 years make up the Barbados Cadet Corps. The defence preparations of the island nation are closely tied to defence treaties with the United Kingdom, the United States, the People's Republic of China,<ref>{{cite news |title=Barbados turns to China for military assistance |url=http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/10902.html |publisher=Caribbean360.com |date=7 August 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917012432/http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/10902.html |archive-date=17 September 2013}}</ref> and ].

The ] is the sole law enforcement agency on the island of Barbados.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GOV.BB |url=https://www.gov.bb/Departments/police-department |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=gov.bb |archive-date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609035738/https://www.gov.bb/Departments/police-department |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Administrative divisions ===

{{Main|Parishes of Barbados}}
Barbados is ] into 11 parishes:
{|
|
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
# ]
| style="width:400px;"|
{{Map of Barbados}}
|} |}
''List of'': ] in Barbados.


==Transport== == Economy ==
{{main|Transport in Barbados}}
Transport on the island is good, with 'route taxis', called "ZR's" (pronounced "Zed-Rs"), travelling to most points on the island. These small buses can at times be crowded, but will usually take the more scenic routes to destinations. These buses generally depart from the capital ] or from ] in the northern part of the island.


{{Main|Economy of Barbados}}
Buses are abundant in Barbados. There are three bus systems running seven days a week (though less frequently on Sundays), and a ride on any of them costs $1.50 BDS. The smaller buses from the two privately owned systems ("ZR's" and "minibuses") can make change; the larger blue buses from the government-operated Barbados Transport Board system cannot. Most routes require a connection in Bridgetown. However, if you wait long enough, you might find a bus that bypasses the capital and takes you right to your destination. Drivers are generally happy to help you get where you're going; however, some drivers within the competitive privately owned systems are reluctant to instruct you to use competing services, even if those would be preferable.
]
Barbados is the 52nd ] in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita,<ref name=imf2> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510073904/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2016/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=47&pr.y=13&sy=2015&ey=2020&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=316&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC&grp=0&a= |date=10 May 2017 }}, International Monetary Fund.</ref> has a well-developed ], and a moderately high ]. According to the World Bank, Barbados is one of 83 ] in the world.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318125456/http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#High_income |date=18 March 2011 }}. Retrieved 6 June 2021.</ref> Despite this, a 2012 self-study in conjunction with the ] revealed 20% of Barbadians live in poverty, and nearly 10% cannot meet their basic daily food needs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.bb/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4204:20-percent-in-poverty&catid=36:local-news&Itemid=59 |title=20 percent in poverty |date=20 April 2012 |work=Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=22 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423020856/http://cbc.bb/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4204%3A20-percent-in-poverty&catid=36%3Alocal-news&Itemid=59 |archive-date=23 April 2012}}</ref> Barbados was ranked 77th in the ] in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/|title=Global Innovation Index 2024. Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship|access-date=2024-10-22|author=]|year=2024|isbn=978-92-805-3681-2|doi= 10.34667/tind.50062|website=www.wipo.int|location=Geneva|page=18}}</ref>


Historically, the economy of Barbados had been dependent on ] cultivation and related activities, but since the late 1970s and early 1980s it has diversified into the manufacturing and tourism sectors.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> Offshore finance and information services have become important foreign exchange earners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbados |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-investment-climate-statements/barbados/ |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=United States Department of State |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019101114/https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-investment-climate-statements/barbados/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Competition for patrons extends to the bus terminals (sometimes just a parking lot full of buses); it is normal for the 'ZR' bus conductors to attempt to escort you to his vehicle and engage in loud altercations with other drivers and conductors, in competition for your patronage. These altercations, though sometimes dramatic, are less problematic than they usually seem to the unaccustomed.


Partly due to the staging of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the island saw a construction boom, with the development and redevelopment of hotels, office complexes, and homes.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.nationnews.com/story/285076846570648.php |title=Builders paradise |access-date=29 July 2009 |first=Roy |last=Morris |date=2 January 2006 |work=The Nation Newspaper |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104024455/http://www.nationnews.com/story/285076846570648.php |archive-date=4 January 2006 |quote=Industry sources are warning, however, that while the boom will bring many jobs and much income, ordinary Barbadians hoping to undertake home construction or improvement will be hard pressed to find materials or labour, given the large number of massive commercial projects with which they will have to compete.&nbsp;... Construction magnate Sir Charles 'COW' Williams, agreeing that this year will be "without doubt" the biggest ever for the island as far as construction was concerned, revealed that his organisation was in the final stages of the construction of a new {{US$|6 million}} plant at Lears, St Michael to double its capacity to produce concrete blocks, as well as a new {{US$|2 million}} plant to supply ready-mixed concrete from its fleet of trucks. "The important thing to keep in mind is that the country will benefit tremendously from a massive injection of foreign exchange from people who want to own homes here," Sir Charles said. }}</ref> This slowed during the 2008 to 2012 world economic crisis and the recession.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18723928 |title=Barbados profile – Overview |access-date=6 April 2014 |date=22 December 2013 |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405174713/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18723928 |archive-date=5 April 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Some hotels also provide visitors with shuttles to points of interest on the island. Hotel shuttles generally leave right outside of the hotel's lobby. The island also has an abundance of taxis-for-hire, although visitors staying on the island may find this an expensive option. Visitors also have the option of transport by car, presuming that they have a valid driver's license (issued in their native country.) There are several locally owned and operated vehicle rental agencies in Barbados, however there are no multi-national car rental agencies (e.g. Avis, Europcar, Hertz, etc.).


There was a strong economy between 1999 and 2000 but the economy went into recession in 2001 and 2002 due to slowdowns in tourism, ] and the impact of the ] in the United States and the ] in the United Kingdom. The economy rebounded in 2003 and has shown growth since 2004 which continued right through to 2008. The economy went into recession again from 2008 to 2013 before showing growth from 2014 to 2017. Then it declined to another recession from 2017 to 2019 during the world economic crisis. There were 23 downgrades by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The economy showed signs of recovery with 3 upgrades from Standard and Poor's and Moody's in 2019. From 1 January to 31 March 2020 the economy had started to grow, but then it experienced another decline due to the ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
==Demographics==
{{main|Demographics of Barbados}}
Barbados has a population of about 279,000 and a growth rate of 0.33% (Mid-2005 estimates). Close to 90 percent of all Barbadians (also known colloquially as ''Bajan'') are of ] descent ("Afro-Bajans"), mostly descendants of the ] labourers on the sugar plantations. The remainder of the population includes groups of ]ans ("Anglo-Bajans" / "Euro-Bajans"), Chinese locally known as Bajan-Chiney, Bajan Hindus and Muslims, and an influential Middle Eastern ("Arab-Bajans") group mainly of ]n and ] descent.


Traditional trading partners include Canada, the ] (especially ]), the United Kingdom and the United States. Recent government administrations have continued efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage ], and privatise remaining state-owned enterprises. Unemployment was reduced to 10.7% in 2003.<ref name="cia"/> However, it has since increased to 11.9% in second quarter, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barstats.gov.bb/ |work=Barbados Statistical Service |title=Latest Socio-Economic Indicators |access-date=8 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105151638/http://www.barstats.gov.bb/ |archive-date=5 November 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Other groups in Barbados include people from the ], ], ] and ]s from ]. Barbadians who return after years of residence in the U.S. are called "Bajan Yankees"; this term is considered derogatory by some.


The European Union is assisting Barbados with a {{€|10 million}} program of modernisation of the country's International Business and Financial Services Sector.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=2151 |title=Barbados signs agreement with EU |access-date=29 July 2009 |first=Cathy |last=Lashley |date=24 July 2009 |work=gisbarbados.gov.bb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724051506/http://www.gisbarbados.gov.bb/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=2151 |archive-date=24 July 2013}}</ref>
The country's official language is ], the local dialect of which is referred to as ]. While most Barbadians are ] ] (67%), chiefly of the ], there are other Protestant, ], ] and ] minorities. Barbados is currently a chief emigration location from the ]n nation of ].


Barbados maintains the third largest ] in the Caribbean region. {{As of|2009}}, officials at the stock exchange were investigating the possibility of augmenting the local exchange with an International Securities Market (ISM) venture.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=business&NewsID=5140 |title=Treaty network an advantage in securities trading |access-date=28 July 2009 |date=28 July 2009 |work=] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211110821/http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=24352 |archive-date=11 February 2006}}</ref>
==Culture==
{{main|Culture of Barbados}}
The influence of the English on Barbados is more noticeable than on other islands in the West Indies. A good example of this is the island's national sport: ]. Barbados has brought forth several great cricket players, including ] and ].


=== Sovereign default and restructuring ===
Citizens are officially called Barbadian, however residents of Barbados colloquially refer to themselves or the products of the country as "Bajan". The term "Bajan", may have come from a localized pronunciation of the word Barbadian which at times can sound more like "Bar-bajan". The term Barbadian is used less frequently than is "Bajan".


By May 2018, Barbados's outstanding debt climbed to {{US$|7.5 billion}}, more than 1.7 times the country's ]. In June 2018 the government defaulted on its sovereign debt when it failed to make a coupon on ]s maturing in 2035. Outstanding bond debt of Barbados reached {{US$|4.4 billion}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cbonds.com/news/item/1014317 |title=Barbados announced a technical default on coupon of Eurobonds with maturity in 2035 |website=cbonds.com |access-date=2018-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612092443/http://cbonds.com/news/item/1014317 |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
The largest ] cultural event which takes place in Barbados is the ''Crop Over Festival'' as known internationally.


In October 2019, Barbados concluded restructuring negotiations with a creditor group including investments funds ], ], Teachers Advisors and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry. Creditors will exchange existing bonds for a new debt series maturing in 2029. The new bonds involve a principal "haircut" of approximately 26% and include a clause allowing for deferment of principal and capitalization of interest in the event of a natural disaster.<ref>{{cite web |title=Barbados reaches debt restructuring deal with creditors |url=https://www.latinfinance.com/daily-briefs/2019/10/21/barbados-reaches-debt-restructuring-deal-with-creditors |website=latinfinance.com |date=21 October 2019 |access-date=2019-12-17 |archive-date=17 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217214629/https://www.latinfinance.com/daily-briefs/2019/10/21/barbados-reaches-debt-restructuring-deal-with-creditors |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Barbados completes debt restructuring and Lebanon facing growing risks |url=https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/capital-markets-weekly-barbados-completes-debt-restructuring.html |website=ihsmarkit.com |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=2019-12-17 |archive-date=17 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217214627/https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/capital-markets-weekly-barbados-completes-debt-restructuring.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
As is the case in many of the other Caribbean and Latin American countries, Crop Over is an important event for many people on the island, as well as the thousands of tourists that flock to the island to participate in the annual events.


== Health ==
The ''Crop Over'' festival which includes various musical competitions, and other traditional activities usually kicks into high gear from the beginning of July, and ends in its entirety with the costumed parade on Kadooment Day, held on the first Monday of August.:''See also: ]''


The main hospital on the island is the ]; however, Barbados has eight polyclinics across five parishes. There are also well-known medical care centres in Barbados such as Bayview Hospital, Sandy Crest Medical Centre and FMH Emergency Medical Clinic.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
==Sport==
{{main|Sport in Barbados}}
There are several sports played in Barbados of which cricket is arguably the favourite (like many other Caribbean countries).
Barbados will be playing host to the ] final, as well as six "Super Eight" matches and several warm-up matches. The final is scheduled to take place on Saturday 28 April, 2007. In golf the ] is an annual stop on the ]. The 2006 ] will take place at the country's ] resort.


==Trivia== == Education ==
* The island of Barbados was first recorded with the spelling Barbadoes, it also has the nickname of 'Little England', and the ] colloquial nickname of 'Bimshire' ("Bim-shur").
* One of the signatures on the original United States constitution was a Barbadian, as was the printer of the document..
* 7 of the first 21 ]s in the U.S. states known as the ] were Barbadians.
* The 1652, Treaty of Oistins guaranteed that Barbadians were granted 'No Taxation Without Representation' under the British Government.
* During the 1800s Barbados was said to be one of the healthiest countries in the World.
* ] and ] are said to have been first recorded in Barbados.
* ] ]s in exile, were the source of the first introduction of the crop ] to Barbados.
* The British system of ] was discovered by charting the distance between ], ] and ], Barbados using the position of the ] in relation to both locations.
* In 1884, through the Barbados Agricultural Society, Barbados attempted to become one of the earliest, albeit most distant ]. This proposal of political association with Canada was later mooted yet again by several politicians of the ] in the 1950s and 1960s.
* Barbados had attempted a ] along with ], and ] at the suggestion of Trinidad and Tobago's ] in the 1990s. The political union was stalled after the then-Prime Minister of Barbados ] became ill and subsequently the ] (DLP) lost in the general government elections.,
* Barbados had a United States military base based in the Parish of ] at Harrisons Point, under which secret projects were carried out in Barbados such as ] on Paragon Beach near the airport. It was said the loud explosions could be heard throughout much of the country and it broke many windows.
* Barbados has one of the most dense road networks in the world, in addition to being one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
* Barbados has half as many registered cars as citizens in the country.
* Barbados and ] have the highest per capita occurrences of ]s in the world.
* ]/] singer ] is from Barbados
* Singer ] had an affair with a wellknown Prime Minister of Barbados during her stay on the island in the late 70's. She describes this in her autobiography ''I Put A Spell On You'' (1992), and dedicates a song to him on ] (1993)<ref>Simone, Nina; Cleary, Stephen. I Put A Spell On You, 1992 (Da Capo Press), ISBN030681327 </ref>.


{{Main|Education in Barbados}}
==National symbols==
]]]
]
The Barbados ] is ranked close to 100%.<ref name="unesco">{{cite web |url=http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?ReportId=143 |title=Unesco Institute for Statistics: Date Centre |date=14 September 2007| access-date=28 February 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110130085835/http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/tableviewer/document.aspx?ReportId=143| archive-date= 30 January 2011 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The mainstream public education system of Barbados is fashioned after the British model. The government of Barbados spends 6.7% of its GDP on education (2008).<ref name="cia"/>
The national flower is the Pride of Barbados '']'' (L.) Sw. which grows across the island of Barbados.
]


All young people in the country must attend school until age 16. Barbados has over 70 primary schools and over 20 secondary schools throughout the island. There are a number of private schools, including those offering ] and ] education. Student enrolment at these schools represents less than 5% of the total enrolment of the public schools.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
===Golden Shield===
The Golden Shield in the Coat of Arms carries two "]" flowers and the "bearded" fig tree ('']'' or ''Ficus barbata'') which was common on the island at the time of its settlement by the British and contributed to Barbados being so named.


Certificate-, diploma- and degree-level education in the country is provided by the ], the ], ], and the ] and Open Campus of the ]. Barbados is also home to several overseas medical schools, such as ] and the ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
===Coat of arms===
The ] depicts two animals which are supporting the shield. On the left is a ], symbolic of the fishing industry and sea-going past of Barbados. On the right is a ], symbolic of a small island named ] that once existed off the coast of Bridgetown. Above the shield is the helmet of Barbados with an extended arm clutching two ] stalks. The "cross" formation made by the cane stalks represents the cross upon which ] was crucified. On the base of the Coat of Arms reads "Pride and Industry" in reference to the country's motto.


=== Educational testing ===
==National Heroes==
There are '''10 Barbados national heroes'''.
*]
*] ()
*]
*]
*]
*Sir ]
*]
*Sir ]
*]
*Sir ]


Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination: Children who are 11 years old on 1 September in the year of the examination are required to write the examination as a means of allocation to secondary school.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
''See also: ]''


Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are usually taken by students after five years of secondary school and mark the end of standard secondary education. The CSEC examinations are equivalent to the Ordinary Level (O-Levels) examinations and are targeted toward students 16 and older.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://smartlabz.pro/caribbean/csec-guide/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826102620/https://smartlabz.pro/caribbean/csec-guide/ | archive-date=2021-08-26| url-status=live | title=Everything You Must Know About CSEC & How to Get It | date=24 August 2021 | access-date=2023-11-19}}</ref>
==International rankings==
* - (]) per capita:
** ]: ranked 59 of 232 countries & territories -- $ 15,700
* ], Worldwide quality-of-life index:
** ] ranked 33 out of 111 countries
* ]/], ] :
** ] ranked 32 of 155 countries
*], Digital Access Index (Top 10 in Americas):
**]: ranked 45 of 178 countries
*], ] - by UNDP
**]: ranked 23rd of 177 countries -- 99.7%
* ]:
** ]: N/A
* ], State of the World’s Mothers:
** ]: N/A
* ], Corruption Perceptions Index:
** ]: ranked 21 out of 146 countries surveyed
* ], ]:
** ]: ranked 30th out of 177 countries (3rd in the Americas, after ] and the ]
** ]: ranked 29th out of 177 countries
** ]: ranked 27th out of 175 countries
** ]: ranked 31st out of 173 countries
** ]: ranked 31st out of 162 countries
** ]: ranked 30th out of 174 countries
** ]: ranked 29th out of 174 countries
** ]: N/A
* ], Global Competitiveness Report/Growth Competitiveness Index:
** ]-]: ranked 31st out of 125 countries (Barbados' debute to the list)
* ]:
** Total ]
*** ] (World Bank): ranked 38 -- $ 15,712
** Total ]
*** ]: ranked 138 -- $ 2,628


Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) are taken by students who have completed their secondary education and wish to continue their studies. Students who sit for the CAPE usually possess CSEC or an equivalent certification. The CAPE is equivalent to the British Advanced Levels (A-Levels), voluntary qualifications that are intended for university entrance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://businessbarbados.com/investor-guide/relocating-to-barbados/education/ |title=The Education System in Barbados |work=Business Barbados |date=11 February 2013 |access-date=22 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511125517/http://businessbarbados.com/investor-guide/relocating-to-barbados/education/ |archive-date=11 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{CIA WFB 2000}}


== Culture ==
{{CIA WFB 2003}}


{{Main|Culture of Barbados}}
==Further reading==
Barbados is a blend of West African, ], Creole, ] and ]s. Citizens are officially called Barbadians, but are colloquially known as "Bajans" (pronounced ˈbājənz). This term evolved from "Badian" (a shortening of "Barbadian") during the 19th-century.<ref name="u035">{{cite web | last1=Dickson | first1=W. | last2=Marshall | first2=P. | last3=Marryat | first3=F. | last4=Hamilton | first4=B. | last5=Strachan | first5=H. | title=Bajan, adj. & n. meanings, etymology and more | website=Oxford English Dictionary | date=2023-07-01 | url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/bajan_adj?tl=true&tab=etymology | access-date=2024-06-21}}</ref><ref name="n238">{{cite web | title=Definition of BAJAN | website=Merriam-Webster | date=2023-10-23 | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bajan | access-date=2024-06-21}}</ref>
*Scott, Caroline 1999. ''Insight Guide Barbados''. Discovery Channel and Insight Guides; 4th edition, Singapore. ISBN 0-88729-033-7
*O'Shaughnessy, Andrew Jackson 2000. ''An Empire Divided - The American Revolution and the British Caribbean''. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia ISBN 0-8122-1732-2
*Hamshere, Cyril 1972. ''The British In the Caribbean''. Harvard University Pres, Massachusetts USA. ISBN 0674082354
*Rogozinski, Jan 1999. ''A Brief History of the Caribbean - From the Arawak and Carib to the Present''. Revised version New York, USA. ISBN 0-8160-3811-2
* Burns, Sir Alan 1965. ''History of the British West Indies''. George Allen and Unwin Ltd, London England.


The largest ]-like cultural event that takes place on the island is the ] festival, which was established in 1974. As in many other Caribbean and Latin American countries, Crop Over is an important event for many people on the island, as well as the thousands of tourists that flock to there to participate in the annual events.<ref name="Encylopedia Britannica- Barbados"/> The festival includes musical competitions and other traditional activities, and features the majority of the island's homegrown ] and ] for the year. The male and female Barbadians who harvested the most sugarcane are crowned as the King and Queen of the crop.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.2camels.com/crop-over-festival.php |title=Crop Over Festival |publisher=2camels.com |access-date=30 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305104727/http://www.2camels.com/crop-over-festival.php |archive-date=5 March 2010}}</ref> Crop Over gets under way at the beginning of July and ends with the costumed parade on Kadooment Day, held on the first Monday of August. New calypso/soca music is usually released and played more frequently from the beginning of May to coincide with the start of the festival.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}
==See also==
* ''List of: ] in Barbados.''
* ], (persons from Barbados.)
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==External links== === Art ===
Barbadian art has evolved over the centuries, influenced by the island's complex history, which includes Indigenous cultures, colonial periods, and the subsequent emergence of a vibrant post-colonial identity. The interplay of African, European, and Caribbean influences has given rise to a unique artistic heritage that continues to inspire contemporary artists.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
{{sisterlinks|Barbados}}


The latter part of the 20th century and into the 21st century witnessed a cultural renaissance in Barbadian art now documented by Raskal Magazine. Artists began to explore diverse mediums and techniques, blending traditional practices with contemporary expressions. This period of experimentation contributed to the dynamic and multifaceted nature of Barbadian art, reflecting the island's openness to cultural exchange and adaptation.
===Government===
* - official website
:*
*
*
*
*


Barbadian artists, mindful of their place within the global art community, began to engage with international artistic trends. This global perspective led to a cross-pollination of ideas, as artists drew inspiration from diverse sources while simultaneously contributing to the broader discourse on Caribbean and diasporic art.
===Directories===
*
*
*
*
*
* directory category
* Barbados dive photo gallery + information


===Tourism=== ===Media===
{{main|Mass media in Barbados}}
*{{wikitravel}}
* ]
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*


===News Media=== === Cuisine ===
*
*
*
*
* The HEAT - Weekly news tabloid with no internet site to date (November 12, 2006)
*
*


{{Main|Barbadian cuisine}}
===Other===
] visitors centre]]
* {{CIA_World_Factbook_link|bb|Barbados}}
Bajan cuisine is a mixture of ], ], ], ] and ] influences. A typical meal consists of a main dish of meat or fish, normally marinated with a mixture of herbs and spices, hot side dishes, and one or more salads. A common Bajan side dish could be pickled cucumber, fish cakes, bake, etc. The meal is usually served with one or more sauces.<ref name=Totally> {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329232049/http://www.totallybarbados.com/barbados/About_Barbados/Local_Information/Barbados_Food/ |date=29 March 2015 }}. ''Totally Barbados''. Retrieved 25 January 2011.</ref> The ] of Barbados is ] and ] with spicy gravy.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616113813/http://www.epicureantourist.com/E.T.%20Blog/B86F2DEA-8D9A-4B1D-B27B-11156E58400D.html |date=16 June 2011 }}. Epicurian Tourist. 25 December 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2011.</ref> Another traditional meal is pudding and souse, a dish of pickled ] with spiced sweet potatoes.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530041329/http://www.barbados.org/barbados-recipes-pudding-souse.htm|date=30 May 2017}}.www.barbados.org. Retrieved 28 May 2015.</ref> A wide variety of seafood and meats are also available.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
*
*
*
*


The ] visitor's centre in Barbados claims to be the world's oldest remaining rum company, with the earliest confirmed deed from 1703. ] and ] are also from the island. Barbados is home to the ], which brews Banks Beer, a ], as well as Banks ].<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707211137/http://www.banksbeer.com/thebeer.html |date=7 July 2011 }}. BanksBeer.com. Retrieved 9 March 2011.</ref> Banks also brews Tiger Malt, a non-alcoholic ]. 10 Saints beer is brewed in ], St. Peter in Barbados and aged for 90 days in Mount Gay 'Special Reserve' Rum casks. It was first brewed in 2009 and is available in certain Caricom nations.<ref>. {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516093824/http://10saints.com/ |date=16 May 2017 }}. Banks Beer. Retrieved 9 March 2011.</ref>
{{maplr|13.16|-59.55|Barbados}}


=== Music ===
See also MapQuest zoom levels 8, 9, and 10.


''Maps of Barbados from Caribbean-On-Line.com'' {{Further|Music of Barbados}}
] ], a native of Barbados, is a ] and one of the ] of all time, selling over 200&nbsp;million records worldwide.]]
*
{{Barbados_topics}}
{{West_Indies}}
{{caricom}}


{{Excerpt|Music of Barbados|hat=no|file=none|template=none|references=yes}}
]
]
]
]
]
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]


In 2009, ] was appointed as an Honorary Ambassador of Youth and Culture for Barbados by the late Prime Minister ].<ref>Kamugisha, Aaron (2015) ''Rihanna: Barbados world-gurl in global popular culture''. University of the West Indies Press. {{ISBN|9766405026}}</ref>
]

]
== Sports ==
]
] {{Main|Sport in Barbados}}
]
]

]
As in other Caribbean countries of British colonial heritage, ] is very popular on the island. The ] usually includes several Barbadian players. In addition to several warm-up, group stage and few "Super Eight" matches, the country hosted the final of the ] and ]. Barbados has produced many great cricketers including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-12 |title=Malcolm Marshall {{!}} West Indian Fast Bowler, Cricket Legend {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-Marshall |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=britannica.com |archive-date=29 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829001710/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-Marshall |url-status=live }}</ref>
]

]
In ], sprinter ] won a bronze medal in the ] at the ]. As of August 2022, he was the first ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Salmon |first=Santana |date=2022-11-30 |title=Obadele Thompson, Barbados' first and only Olympics medalist |url=https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/barbados-independence/obadele-thompson-barbados-first-and-only-olympics-medalist/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=CNW Network |language=en-US}}</ref>
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]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=BAR/athcode=208833/index.html |title=iaaf.org – Athletes – Brathwaite Ryan Biography |access-date=30 January 2022 |archive-date=1 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501135055/http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=BAR/athcode=208833/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> won a ] in the ] at the ] in Berlin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/08/20/sports-ath-worlds-men-apos-s-110-hurdles_6800205.html|title=Associated Press, "Brathwaite wins men's 110-meter hurdles at worlds", Aug. 20, 2009}}</ref>
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] is also popular in Barbados.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BARBADOS RUGBY CLUB {{!}} Sporting Barbados |url=https://www.sportingbarbados.com/sporting-contacts/barbados-rugby-club |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=sportingbarbados.com |date=5 September 2011 |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329030838/https://www.sportingbarbados.com/sporting-contacts/barbados-rugby-club |url-status=live }}</ref>
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] takes place at the ] close to Bridgetown. Spectators can pay for admission to the stands. Admission to the Grand Stand costs between US$2.50 and US$5.00.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbados Turf Club {{!}} horseracing in Barbados |url=https://www.barbadosbarbados.com/activity/barbados-turf-club-garrison-savannah/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Barbados Barbados |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329032833/https://www.barbadosbarbados.com/activity/barbados-turf-club-garrison-savannah/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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] is an increasingly popular sport, played at school or college. The ] has additionally shown some international success, including a fifth-place finish in the ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Mike |date=23 March 2006 |title=FIBA – Barbados power past Scotland |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/news/FIBA-Barbados-power-past-Scotland |access-date=11 April 2024 |website=]}}</ref>
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] is very popular amongst the rich elite on the island and the "High-Goal" Apes Hill team is based at the St James's Club.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ape hills polo |url=http://www.apeshillclub.com/Polo/ |website=Ape hills Club |access-date=2 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112201200/http://www.apeshillclub.com/Polo/ |archive-date=12 January 2015}}</ref>
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] in ] hosted the ]. Cricket is one of the most followed games in Barbados and Kensington Oval is often referred to as the "Mecca in Cricket" due to its significance and contributions to the sport.]]
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In golf, the ], played at Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, was an annual stop on the ] from 2000 to 2009. In December 2006 the ] took place at the country's ] resort on the Country Club course, an 18-hole course designed by ]. The Barbados Golf Club is another course on the island.
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] is also popular and is mainly played indoors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Volleyball |url=https://www.totallybarbados.com/articles/sports/volleyball/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Totally Barbados |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329031300/https://www.totallybarbados.com/articles/sports/volleyball/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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] is gaining popularity and Barbados is home to ], who has achieved a career-high ranking of 106 in May 2017 and has played in the ] and the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Darian King {{!}} Bio {{!}} ATP Tour {{!}} Tennis |url=http://www.atptour.com/en/players/plwiki/kc86/bio |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=ATP Tour}}</ref>
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] also play a role, with Rally Barbados occurring each summer and being listed on the FIA NACAM calendar. Also, the ] hosted the ] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-12-14 |title=Race of Champions {{!}} Event {{!}} Motorsport.com |url=https://www.motorsport.com/general/event/race-of-champions-13/8809/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=motorsport.com |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329040419/https://www.motorsport.com/general/event/race-of-champions-13/8809/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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The presence of the trade winds along with favourable swells make the southern tip of the island an ideal location for wave sailing (an extreme form of the sport of ]).
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Barbados also hosts several international surfing competitions.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.visitbarbados.org/world-surfing-league-barbados-surf-pro|title=World Surfing League|publisher=Visit Barbados|access-date=4 February 2021|archive-date=17 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117025710/https://www.visitbarbados.org/world-surfing-league-barbados-surf-pro|url-status=live}}</ref>
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] is also popular with women in Barbados.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-12-07 |title=Netball |url=https://olympic.org.bb/netball-2/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=The Barbados Olympic Association Inc. |archive-date=29 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329040838/https://olympic.org.bb/netball-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Several players in the ] (NFL) are from Barbados, including ], ], ], ] and ].<ref>Grasso, John (2013). ''Historical Dictionary of Football''. Scarecrow Press. Page 484. {{ISBN|9780810878570}}.</ref>
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== Transport ==
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{{Main|Transport in Barbados}}
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Although Barbados is about {{cvt|34|km|mi}} across at its widest point, a car journey from Six Cross Roads in St. Philip (south-east) to North Point in St. Lucy (north-central) can take one and a half hours or longer due to traffic. Barbados has half as many registered cars as citizens. In Barbados, drivers drive on the left side of the road.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guide |first=Barbados org Travel |title=Barbados Driving Tips – Stay Safe As You Explore The Island |url=http://barbados.org/tours/barbados-driving-tips.htm |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=barbados.org |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019095618/https://barbados.org/tours/barbados-driving-tips.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Barbados is known for its many roundabouts. One famous roundabout is located east of Bridgetown and holds the Emancipation Statue of the slave ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statue of Bussa – Barbados Pocket Guide |url=https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/barbados-attractions/attractions-by-parish-location/st-michael/statue-of-bussa.html |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=barbadospocketguide.com |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019095612/https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/barbados-attractions/attractions-by-parish-location/st-michael/statue-of-bussa.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Transport on the island is relatively convenient with "]" called "]" (pronounced "Zed-Rs") travelling to most points on the island. These small buses can at times be crowded, as passengers are generally never turned down regardless of the number. They will usually take the more scenic routes to destinations. They generally depart from the capital ] or from ] in the northern part of the island.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Private Transportation – Barbados Pocket Guide |url=https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/getting-around-in-barbados/buses/private-transportation.html |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=barbadospocketguide.com |archive-date=19 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231019095608/https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/getting-around-in-barbados/buses/private-transportation.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Including the ZRs, there are three bus systems running seven days a week (though less frequently on Sundays). There are ZRs, the yellow minibuses and the blue ]. A ride on any of them costs {{Currency|3.50|BBD|linked=no}}.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231201023/https://www.transportboard.com/about-us/fare-policy/ |date=31 December 2019 }}: Barbados Transport Board</ref> The smaller buses from the two privately owned systems ("ZRs" and "minibuses") can give change; the larger blue buses from the government-operated ] system cannot, but do give receipts. The Barbados Transport Board buses travel in regular bus routes and scheduled timetables across Barbados. Schoolchildren in school uniform including some Secondary schools ride for free on the government buses and for {{Currency|2.50|BBD|linked=no}} on the ZRs. Most routes require a connection in Bridgetown. Barbados Transport Board's headquarters are located at Kay's House, Roebuck Street, St. Michael, and the bus depots and terminals are located in the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal in Fairchild Street and the Princess Alice Bus Terminal (which was formerly the Lower Green Bus Terminal in Jubilee Gardens, Bridgetown, St. Michael) in Princess Alice Highway, Bridgetown, St. Michael; the Speightstown Bus Terminal in Speightstown, St. Peter; the Oistins Bus Depot in Oistins, Christ Church; and the Mangrove Bus Depot in Mangrove, St. Philip. In July 2020, the ] received 33 ] electric buses which were obtained not only to add to the aging fleet of diesel buses but also to assist the Government in their goal of eliminating the use of ] by 2030.<ref>{{cite web |title=EV buses are here |url=https://epaper.barbadostoday.bb/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=f33c044d-c56c-4b0f-8918-cb5624b8e054 |access-date=2020-09-16 |website=epaper.barbadostoday.bb |archive-date=16 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916231719/https://epaper.barbadostoday.bb/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=f33c044d-c56c-4b0f-8918-cb5624b8e054 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=National Energy Policy for Barbados 2019 – 2030 |url=https://www.energy.gov.bb/web/national-energy-policy-for-barbados-2019-2030 |access-date=2020-09-16 |website=energy.gov.bb |archive-date=16 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916195727/https://www.energy.gov.bb/web/national-energy-policy-for-barbados-2019-2030 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Some hotels also provide visitors with shuttles to points of interest on the island from outside the hotel lobby. There are several locally owned and operated vehicle rental agencies in Barbados but there are no multi-national companies.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
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The island's lone airport is the ]. It receives daily flights by several major airlines from points around the globe,<ref name="Caribbean Journal 2023 p507">{{cite web | title=American Airlines Adding More Barbados Flights for Holidays | website=Caribbean Journal | date=July 16, 2023 | url=https://www.caribjournal.com/2023/07/16/barbados-american-airlines-flights-holidays/ | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=18 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718074656/https://www.caribjournal.com/2023/07/16/barbados-american-airlines-flights-holidays/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Jamaica Gleaner 2024 j994">{{cite news | title=Barbados welcomes return of Delta Airlines | website=Jamaica Gleaner | date=February 7, 2024 | url=https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20240207/barbados-welcomes-return-delta-airlines | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=9 February 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240209113036/https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/business/20240207/barbados-welcomes-return-delta-airlines | url-status=live }}</ref> as well as several smaller regional commercial airlines and charters.<ref name="Epstein 2023 b660">{{cite news | last=Epstein | first=Curt | title=Universal Aviation Adds Barbados FBO to Network | website=Aviation International News | date=May 15, 2023 | url=https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-05-15/universal-aviation-adds-barbados-fbo-network | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=11 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231011074619/https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-05-15/universal-aviation-adds-barbados-fbo-network | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Airways 2023 h266">{{cite news | title=FlightSupport (Barbados) Ltd Celebrates Successful Launch in Barbados | website=PR Newswire | date=December 5, 2023 | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flightsupport-barbados-ltd-celebrates-successful-launch-in-barbados-302005747.html | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=4 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240304235837/https://www.prnewswire.com//news-releases/flightsupport-barbados-ltd-celebrates-successful-launch-in-barbados-302005747.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The airport serves as a southern air-transportation hub for the Caribbean.<ref name="Traffic 2023 q584">{{cite news | title=InterCaribbean 'cutting-edge' Support System takes flight | website=Barbados Today | date=December 2, 2023 | url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/12/02/intercaribbean-cutting-edge-support-system-takes-flight/ | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=12 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212052627/https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/12/02/intercaribbean-cutting-edge-support-system-takes-flight/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It underwent a {{US$|100 million}} upgrade and expansion from 2003 to 2006.<ref name="Airport Technology 2017 g678">{{cite web | title=Grantley Adams International Airport Expansion and Renovation | website=Airport Technology | date=November 1, 2017 | url=https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/grantley-adams/ | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=8 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208094623/https://www.airport-technology.com/projects/grantley-adams/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2023, it began conversion of its former Concorde terminal and museum to a new departure terminal,<ref name="Caribbean Journal 2023 q165">{{cite web | title=Barbados Is Transforming the Concorde Hangar Into a New Airport Terminal | website=Caribbean Journal | date=November 25, 2023 | url=https://www.caribjournal.com/2023/11/25/barbados-airport-terminal-transforming-concorde-hangar/ | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=22 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222015551/https://www.caribjournal.com/2023/11/25/barbados-airport-terminal-transforming-concorde-hangar/ | url-status=live }}</ref> and in December 2023, Prime Minister ] announced the negotiations for a {{US$|300 million}} for additional airport development.<ref name="Deane 2023 h296">{{cite news | last=Deane | first=Sandy | title=PM hoping to finalise airport PPP by early 2024 | website=Barbados Today | date=December 15, 2023 | url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/12/15/pm-hoping-to-finalise-airport-ppp-by-early-2024/ | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=21 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221111823/https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/12/15/pm-hoping-to-finalise-airport-ppp-by-early-2024/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
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The Bridgetown seaport is the primary port of call for commercial container and cruise traffic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Zahra |date=2022-10-29 |title=3 Major Ports In Barbados |url=https://www.marineinsight.com/know-more/3-major-ports-in-barbados/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |website=Marine Insight |archive-date=29 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129210053/https://www.marineinsight.com/know-more/3-major-ports-in-barbados/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Today 2023 o421">{{cite web | last=Today | first=Barbados | title=Port extends hours amid cargo surge | website=Barbados Today | date=December 22, 2023 | url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/12/22/port-extends-hours-amid-cargo-surge/ | access-date=April 14, 2024 | archive-date=27 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231227060129/https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/12/22/port-extends-hours-amid-cargo-surge/ | url-status=live }}</ref>
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There was also a helicopter shuttle service, which offered air taxi services to a number of sites around the island, mainly on the West Coast tourist belt. Air and maritime traffic was regulated by the ].{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}
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== See also ==
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{{portal|Caribbean|Islands}}
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* ]
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* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* Burns, Sir Alan, ''History of the British West Indies''. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1965.
* ]. '']''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. {{ISBN|0-19-514073-7}}
* Frere, Samuel, London: J. Dodsley, 1768.
* Gragg, Larry Dale, ''Englishmen transplanted: The English Colonization of Barbados, 1627–1660''. Oxford University Press, 2003. {{ISBN|978-0199253890}}
* Hamshere, Cyril, ''The British in the Caribbean''. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972.
* Newman, Simon P. ''A New World of Labor: The Development of Slavery in the British Atlantic.'' Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. {{ISBN|978-0812245196}}
* Northrup, David, ed. ''The Atlantic Slave Trade, Second Edition''. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. {{ISBN|0-618-11624-9}}
* O'Shaughnessy, Andrew Jackson, ''An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British Caribbean''. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. {{ISBN|978-0812217322}}
* Rogozinski, January 1999. ''A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present''. Revised version, New York, USA. {{ISBN|0-8160-3811-2}}
* Scott, Caroline 1999. ''Insight Guide Barbados''. Discovery Channel and Insight Guides; fourth edition, Singapore. {{ISBN|0-88729-033-7}}

=== Videography ===

* —Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (Courtesy of ).
* {{YouTube|7QNd8zSlH34|Videography}}, by the Ministry of Energy and the Environment, under the Office of the Prime Minister.
* 11 November 2011, on '']'', ].
* {{CIA World Factbook|year=2003}}

== External links ==

{{Sister project links|voy=Barbados|Barbados}}
* {{official website|https://www.gov.bb/}}
*
*
*
* —The Ministry of Tourism
*
* (BCC&I)
*
*
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100505161730/http://www.barbmuse.org.bb/ |date=5 May 2010 }}

=== General information ===
* {{Wikiatlas|Barbados}}
* {{osmrelation-inline|}}

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Latest revision as of 12:43, 20 November 2024

Island nation in the Caribbean This article is about the country in the Caribbean. For other uses, see Barbados (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Barbuda or Barbatos.

Barbados
Flag of Barbados Flag Coat of arms of Barbados Coat of arms
Motto: "Pride and Industry"
Anthem: "In Plenty and In Time of Need"
Location of Barbados
Capitaland largest cityBridgetown
13°05′52″N 59°37′06″W / 13.09778°N 59.61833°W / 13.09778; -59.61833
Official languagesEnglish
Vernacular languageBajan Creole
Ethnic groups (2020)
Religion (2020)
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
• President Sandra Mason
• Prime Minister Mia Mottley
LegislatureParliament
• Upper houseSenate
• Lower houseHouse of Assembly
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Part of the West Indies Federation 3 January 1958 – 31 May 1962
• Sovereignty 30 November 1966
• Admitted to the UN 7 December 1966
• Joined CARICOM at the Treaty of Chaguaramas 1 August 1973
• Republic established 30 November 2021
Area
• Total439 km (169 sq mi) (183rd)
• Water (%)Negligible
Population
• 2023 estimate281,998 (174th)
• 2021 census269,090 (174th)
• Density660/km (1,709.4/sq mi) (17th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• TotalIncrease $5.436 billion (175th)
• Per capitaIncrease $18,738 (90th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• TotalIncrease $6.220 billion (165th)
• Per capitaIncrease $21,442 (50th)
HDI (2022)Increase 0.809
very high (62nd)
CurrencyBarbadian dollar ($) (BBD)
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
Drives onLeft
Calling code+1 -246
ISO 3166 codeBB
Internet TLD.bb

Barbados (UK: /bɑːrˈbeɪdɒs/ bar-BAY-doss; US: /bɑːrˈbeɪdoʊs/ bar-BAY-dohss; locally /bɑːrˈbeɪdəs/ bar-BAY-dəss) is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region next to North America and north of South America, and is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. It lies on the boundary of the South American and Caribbean plates. Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown.

Inhabited by Kalinago people since the 13th century, and prior to that by other Indigenous peoples, Spanish navigators took possession of Barbados in the late 15th century, claiming it for the Crown of Castile. It first appeared on a Spanish map in 1511. The Portuguese Empire claimed the island between 1532 and 1536, but abandoned it in 1620 with their only remnants being an introduction of wild boars for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited. An English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados on 14 May 1625; its men took possession of the island in the name of King James I. In 1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and Barbados became an English and later British colony. During this period, the colony operated on a plantation economy, relying on the labour of African slaves who worked on the island's plantations. Slavery continued until it was phased out through most of the British Empire by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

On 30 November 1966, Barbados moved towards political independence and assumed the status of a Commonwealth realm, becoming a separate jurisdiction with Elizabeth II as the Queen of Barbados. On 30 November 2021, Barbados transitioned to a republic within the Commonwealth, replacing its monarchy with a ceremonial president.

Barbados's population is predominantly of African ancestry. While it is technically an Atlantic island, Barbados is closely associated with the Caribbean and is ranked as one of its leading tourist destinations.

Etymology

The name "Barbados" is from either the Portuguese term os barbados or the Spanish equivalent, los barbados, both meaning "the bearded ones". It is unclear whether "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), a species of banyan indigenous to the island, or to the allegedly bearded Kalinago (Island Caribs) who once inhabited the island, or, more fancifully, to a visual impression of a beard formed by the sea foam that sprays over the outlying coral reefs. In 1519, a map produced by the Genoese mapmaker Visconte Maggiolo showed and named Barbados in its correct position. Furthermore, the island of Barbuda in the Leewards is very similar in name and was once named "Las Barbudas" by the Spanish.

The original name for Barbados in the Pre-Columbian era was Ichirouganaim, according to accounts by descendants of the Indigenous Arawakan-speaking tribes in other regional areas, with possible translations including "Red land with white teeth" or "Redstone island with teeth outside (reefs)" or simply "Teeth".

Colloquially, Barbadians refer to their home island as "Bim" or other nicknames associated with Barbados, including "Bimshire". The origin is uncertain, but several theories exist. The National Cultural Foundation of Barbados says that "Bim" was a word commonly used by slaves, and that it derives from the Igbo term bém from bé mụ́ meaning "my home, kindred, kind"; the Igbo phoneme [e] in the Igbo orthography is very close to /ɪ/. The name could have arisen due to the relatively large percentage of Igbo slaves from modern-day southeastern Nigeria arriving in Barbados in the 18th century. The words "Bim" and "Bimshire" are recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionaries. Another possible source for "Bim" is reported to be in the Agricultural Reporter of 25 April 1868, where the Rev. N. Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, Abel Hendy Jones Greenidge) suggested that Bimshire was "introduced by an old planter listing it as a county of England". Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Bimshire". Lastly, in the Daily Argosy (of Demerara, i.e. Guyana) of 1652, there is a reference to Bim as a possible corruption of "Byam", the name of a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers of Byam became known as "Bims" and that this became a word for all Barbadians.

History

Main article: History of Barbados

Geological history

Around 700,000 years ago, the island emerged from the ocean as a body of soft rock known as a diapir rose from the mantle beneath its present-day location. This process is still ongoing, raising Barbados at an average rate of 30 centimeters per thousand years. Dozens of inland sea reefs still dominate coastal features within terraces and cliffs on the island.

Pre-colonial period

Archeological evidence suggests humans may have first settled or visited the island c. 1600 BC. More permanent Amerindian settlement of Barbados dates to about the 4th to 7th centuries AD, by a group known as the Saladoid-Barrancoid. Settlements of Arawaks from South America appeared by around 800 AD and again in the 12th–13th century. The Kalinago (called "Caribs" by the Spanish) visited the island regularly, although there is no evidence of permanent settlement.

European arrival

Spanish map of the island (1632)

It is uncertain which European nation arrived first in Barbados, which probably would have been at some point in the 15th century or 16th century. One lesser-known source points to earlier revealed works antedating contemporary sources, indicating it could have been the Spanish. Many, if not most, believe the Portuguese, en route to Brazil, were the first Europeans to come upon the island. The island was largely ignored by Europeans, though Spanish slave raiding is thought to have reduced the native population, with many fleeing to other islands.

English settlement in the 17th century

George Washington House was visited by George Washington in 1751, in what is believed to have been his only trip outside the present-day United States.

The first English ship, which had arrived on 14 May 1625, was captained by John Powell. The first settlement began on 17 February 1627, near what is now Holetown (formerly Jamestown, after King James I of England), by a group led by John Powell's younger brother, Henry, consisting of 80 settlers and 10 English indentured labourers. Some sources state that some Africans were amongst these first settlers.

The settlement was established as a proprietary colony and funded by Sir William Courten, a City of London merchant who acquired the title to Barbados and several other islands. The first colonists were actually tenants, and much of the profits of their labour returned to Courten and his company. Courten's title was later transferred to James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle, in what was called the "Great Barbados Robbery". Carlisle then chose as governor Henry Powell, who established the House of Assembly in 1639, in an effort to appease the planters, who might otherwise have opposed his controversial appointment.

In the period 1640–1660, the West Indies attracted more than two-thirds of the total number of English emigrants to the Americas. By 1650, there were 44,000 settlers in the West Indies, as compared to 12,000 on the Chesapeake and 23,000 in New England. Most English arrivals were indentured. After five years of labour, they were given "freedom dues" of about £10, usually in goods. Before the mid-1630s, they also received 5 to 10 acres (2 to 4 hectares) of land, but after that time the island filled and there was no more free land. During the Cromwellian era (1650s) this included a large number of prisoners-of-war, vagrants and people who were illicitly kidnapped, who were forcibly transported to the island and sold as servants. These last two groups were predominantly Irish, as several thousand were infamously rounded up by English merchants and sold into servitude in Barbados and other Caribbean islands during this period, a practice that came to be known as being Barbadosed. Cultivation of sugar was thus handled primarily by European indentured labour until it became difficult to bring more indentured servants from England.

Parish registers from the 1650s show that, for the white population, there were four times as many deaths as marriages. The mainstay of the infant colony's economy was the growth export of tobacco, but tobacco prices eventually fell in the 1630s as Chesapeake production expanded.

Effects of the English Civil War

Main articles: English overseas possessions in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Restoration in the English colonies

Around the same time, fighting during the War of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum spilled over into Barbados and Barbadian territorial waters. The island was not involved in the war until after the execution of Charles I, when the island's government fell under the control of Royalists (ironically the Governor, Philip Bell, remaining loyal to Parliament while the Barbadian House of Assembly, under the influence of Humphrey Walrond, supported Charles II). To try to bring the recalcitrant colony to heel, the Commonwealth Parliament passed an act on 3 October 1650 prohibiting trade between England and Barbados, and because the island also traded with the Netherlands, further Navigation Acts were passed, prohibiting any but English vessels trading with Dutch colonies. These acts were a precursor to the First Anglo-Dutch War. The Commonwealth of England sent an invasion force under the command of Sir George Ayscue, which arrived in October 1651. Ayscue, with a smaller force that included Scottish prisoners, surprised a larger force of Royalists, but had to resort to spying and diplomacy ultimately. On 11 January 1652, the Royalists in the House of Assembly led by Lord Willoughby surrendered, which marked the end of royalist privateering as a major threat. The conditions of the surrender were incorporated into the Charter of Barbados (Treaty of Oistins), which was signed at the Mermaid's Inn, Oistins, on 17 January 1652.

Irish people in Barbados

Main article: Irish people in Barbados

Starting with Cromwell, a large percentage of the white labourer population were indentured servants and involuntarily transported people from Ireland. Irish servants in Barbados were often treated poorly, and Barbadian planters gained a reputation for cruelty. The decreased appeal of an indenture on Barbados, combined with enormous demand for labour caused by sugar cultivation, led to the use of involuntary transportation to Barbados as a punishment for crimes, or for political prisoners, and also to the kidnapping of labourers who were deported to Barbados. Irish indentured servants were a significant portion of the population throughout the period when white servants were used for plantation labour in Barbados, and while a "steady stream" of Irish servants entered the Barbados throughout the 17th century, Cromwellian efforts to pacify Ireland created a "veritable tidal wave" of Irish labourers who were sent to Barbados during the 1650s. Due to inadequate historical records, the total number of Irish labourers sent to Barbados is unknown, and estimates have been "highly contentious". While one historical source estimated that as many as 50,000 Irish people were deported to either Barbados or Virginia during the 1650s, this estimate is "quite likely exaggerated". Another estimate that 12,000 Irish prisoners had arrived in Barbados by 1655 has been described as "probably exaggerated" by historian Richard B. Sheridan. According to historian Thomas Bartlett, it is "generally accepted" that approximately 10,000 Irish were deported to the West Indies and approximately 40,000 came as voluntary indentured servants, while many also travelled as voluntary, un-indentured emigrants.

The sugar revolution

The introduction of sugar cane from Dutch Brazil in 1640 completely transformed society, the economy and the physical landscape. Barbados eventually had one of the world's biggest sugar industries. One group instrumental in ensuring the early success of the industry was the Sephardic Jews, who had originally been expelled from the Iberian peninsula, to end up in Dutch Brazil. As the effects of the new crop increased, so did the shift in the ethnic composition of Barbados and surrounding islands. The workable sugar plantation required a large investment and a great deal of heavy labour. At first, Dutch traders supplied the equipment, financing, and African slaves, in addition to transporting most of the sugar to Europe. In 1644 the population of Barbados was estimated at 30,000, of which about 800 were of African ancestry, with the remainder mainly of English ancestry. These English smallholders were eventually bought out and the island filled up with large sugar plantations worked by African slaves. By 1660 there was near parity with 27,000 Black people and 26,000 White people. By 1666 at least 12,000 white smallholders had been bought out, died, or left the island, many choosing to emigrate to Jamaica or the American Colonies (notably the Carolinas). As a result, Barbados enacted a slave code as a way of legislatively controlling its enslaved Black population. The law's text was influential in laws in other colonies.

By 1680 there were 20,000 free whites and 46,000 enslaved Africans; by 1724, there were 18,000 free whites and 55,000 enslaved Africans.

18th and 19th centuries

Statue of Bussa, Bridgetown. Bussa led the largest slave rebellion in Barbadian history.

The harsh conditions endured by the slaves resulted in several planned slave rebellions, the largest of which was Bussa's rebellion in 1816 which was rapidly suppressed by the colonial authorities. In 1819, another slave revolt broke out on Easter Day. The revolt was put down in blood, with heads being displayed on stakes. Nevertheless, the brutality of the repression shocked even England and strengthened the abolitionist movement. Growing opposition to slavery led to its abolition in the British Empire in 1833. The plantocracy class retained control of political and economic power on the island, with most workers living in relative poverty.

The 1780 hurricane killed more than 4,000 people on Barbados. In 1854, a cholera epidemic killed more than 20,000 inhabitants.

20th century before independence

Deep dissatisfaction with the situation on Barbados led many to emigrate. Things came to a head in the 1930s during the Great Depression, as Barbadians began demanding better conditions for workers, the legalisation of trade unions and a widening of the franchise, which at that point was limited to male property owners. As a result of the increasing unrest the British sent a commission, called the West Indies Royal Commission, or Moyne Commission, in 1938, which recommended enacting many of the requested reforms on the islands. As a result, Afro-Barbadians began to play a much more prominent role in the colony's politics, with universal suffrage being introduced in 1950.

Prominent among these early activists was Grantley Herbert Adams, who helped found the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) in 1938. He became the first Premier of Barbados in 1953, followed by fellow BLP-founder Hugh Gordon Cummins from 1958 to 1961. A group of left-leaning politicians who advocated swifter moves to independence broke off from the BLP and founded the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in 1955. The DLP subsequently won the 1961 Barbadian general election and their leader Errol Barrow became premier.

Full internal self-government was enacted in 1961. Barbados joined the short-lived British West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962, later gaining full independence on 30 November 1966. Errol Barrow became the country's first prime minister. Barbados opted to remain within the Commonwealth of Nations.

The effect of political independence meant that the United Kingdom government ceased to having sovereignty over Barbados, Elizabeth II, instead, reigning in the country became the Queen of Barbados. The monarch then was represented locally by a governor-general.

Post-independence era

The Barrow government sought to diversify the economy away from agriculture, seeking to boost industry and the tourism sector. Barbados was also at the forefront of regional integration efforts, spearheading the creation of CARIFTA and CARICOM. The DLP lost the 1976 Barbadian general election to the BLP under Tom Adams. Adams adopted a more conservative and strongly pro-Western stance, allowing the Americans to use Barbados as the launchpad for their invasion of Grenada in 1983. Adams died in office in 1985 and was replaced by Harold Bernard St. John; however, St. John lost the 1986 Barbadian general election, which saw the return of the DLP under Errol Barrow, who had been highly critical of the US intervention in Grenada. Barrow, too, died in office, and was replaced by Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, who remained Prime Minister until 1994.

Owen Arthur of the BLP won the 1994 Barbadian general election, remaining prime minister until 2008. Arthur was a strong advocate of republicanism, though a planned referendum to replace Queen Elizabeth as Head of State in 2008 never took place. The DLP won the 2008 Barbadian general election, but the new Prime Minister David Thompson died in 2010 and was replaced by Freundel Stuart. The BLP returned to power in 2018 under Mia Mottley, who became Barbados's first female prime minister.

Transition to republic

Main article: Republicanism in Barbados

The Government of Barbados announced on 15 September 2020 that it intended to become a republic by 30 November 2021, the 55th anniversary of its independence, resulting in the replacement of the Barbadian monarchy with a president elected through electoral college. Barbados would then cease to be a Commonwealth realm, but could maintain membership in the Commonwealth of Nations, like Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

On 20 September 2021, just over a full year after the announcement for the transition was made, the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 was introduced to the Parliament of Barbados. Passed on 6 October, the Bill made amendments to the Constitution of Barbados, introducing the office of the president of Barbados to replace the role of Elizabeth II as Queen of Barbados. The following week, on 12 October 2021, incumbent Governor-General of Barbados Sandra Mason was jointly nominated by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition as candidate to be the first president of Barbados, and was subsequently elected on 20 October. Mason took office on 30 November 2021. Prince Charles, the heir apparent to the Barbadian Crown at the time, attended the swearing-in ceremony in Bridgetown at the invitation of the Government of Barbados.

Queen Elizabeth sent a message of congratulations to President Mason and the people of Barbados, saying: "As you celebrate this momentous day, I send you and all Barbadians my warmest good wishes for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future."

A survey that was conducted between 23 October 2021 and 10 November 2021, by the University of the West Indies showed 34% of respondents being in favour of transitioning to a republic, while 30% were indifferent. Notably, no overall majority was found in the survey; with 24% not indicating a preference and the remaining 12% being opposed to the removal of Queen Elizabeth.

On 20 June 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in by Jeffrey Gibson (who at the time was serving temporarily as Acting President of Barbados) to review the Constitution of Barbados.

The commission was given a 15-month timeline to complete its work, which included consulting the public about the new republic and drafting a constitution. Thus, the CRC engaged the public in a number of public meetings, lectures, and Twitter Spaces. The report was announced delayed by August 2023, with the final report submitted 30 June 2024.

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Barbados
Map of Barbados

Barbados is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies Islands. Barbados is the easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles. It is 34 kilometres (21 miles) long and up to 23 km (14 mi) wide, covering an area of 439 km (169 sq mi). It lies about 168 km (104 mi) east of both the countries of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 180 km (110 mi) south-east of Martinique and 400 km (250 mi) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west, the Windward Islands. The island rises gently to the central highland region known as Scotland District, with the highest point being Mount Hillaby 340 m (1,120 ft) above sea level.

In Barbados forest cover is around 15% of the total land area, equivalent to 6,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 6,300 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 0 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 5% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 1% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 0% private ownership and 99% with ownership listed as other or unknown.

In the parish of Saint Michael lies Barbados's capital and main city, Bridgetown, containing one third of the country's population. Other major towns scattered across the island include Holetown, in the parish of Saint James; Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church; and Speightstown, in the parish of Saint Peter.

Geology

Barbados lies on the boundary of the South American and the Caribbean Plates. The subduction of the South American Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate scrapes sediment from the South American Plate and deposits it above the subduction zone forming an accretionary prism. The rate of this depositing of material allows Barbados to rise at a rate of about 25 mm (1 in) per 1,000 years. This subduction means geologically the island is composed of coral roughly 90 m (300 ft) thick, where reefs formed above the sediment. The land slopes in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. A large proportion of the island is circled by coral reefs.

The erosion of limestone in the northeast of the island, in the Scotland District, has resulted in the formation of various caves and gullies. On the Atlantic east coast of the island coastal landforms, including stacks, have been created due to the limestone composition of the area. Also notable in the island is the rocky cape known as Pico Teneriffe or Pico de Tenerife, which is named after the fact that the island of Tenerife in Spain is the first land east of Barbados according to the belief of the locals.

Climate

Bathsheba, Saint Joseph

The country generally experiences two seasons, one of which includes noticeably higher rainfall. Known as the "wet season", this period runs from June to December. By contrast, the "dry season" runs from December to May. Annual precipitation ranges between 1,000 and 2,300 mm (40 and 90 in). From December to May the average temperatures range from 21 to 31 °C (70 to 88 °F), while between June and November, they range from 23 to 31 °C (73 to 88 °F).

On the Köppen climate classification scale, much of Barbados is regarded as a tropical monsoon climate (Am). However, breezes of 12 to 16 km/h (7 to 10 mph) abound throughout the year and give Barbados a climate which is moderately tropical.

Infrequent natural hazards include earthquakes, landslips, and hurricanes. Barbados lies outside the Main Development Region for tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic, and is often spared the worst effects of the region's storms during the rainy season. On average, a major hurricane makes landfall in Barbados about once every 26 years. The last significant hit from a hurricane to cause severe damage to Barbados was Hurricane Janet in 1955; in 2010 the island was struck by Hurricane Tomas, but this caused only minor damage across the country as it was only at Tropical Storm strength at the time of impact.

Environmental issues

Barbados, seen from the International Space Station
Barbados is the twentieth most water stressed country in the world.

Barbados is susceptible to environmental pressures. As one of the world's most densely populated isles, the government worked during the 1990s to aggressively integrate the growing south coast of the island into the Bridgetown Sewage Treatment Plant to reduce contamination of offshore coral reefs. As of the first decade of the 21st century, a second treatment plant has been proposed along the island's west coast. Being so densely populated, Barbados has made great efforts to protect its underground aquifers.

As a coral-limestone island, Barbados is highly permeable to seepage of surface water into the earth. The government has placed great emphasis on protecting the catchment areas that lead directly into the huge network of underground aquifers and streams. On occasion illegal squatters have breached these areas, and the government has removed squatters to preserve the cleanliness of the underground springs which provide the island's drinking water.

The government has placed a huge emphasis on keeping Barbados clean with the aim of protecting the environment and preserving offshore coral reefs which surround the island. Many initiatives to mitigate human pressures on the coastal regions of Barbados and seas come from the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU). Barbados has nearly 90 kilometres (56 miles) of coral reefs just offshore and two protected marine parks have been established off the west coast. Overfishing is another threat which faces Barbados.

Although on the opposite side of the Atlantic, and some 4,800 kilometres (3,000 miles) west of Africa, Barbados is one of many places in the American continent that experience heightened levels of mineral dust from the Sahara Desert. Some particularly intense dust episodes have been blamed partly for the impacts on the health of coral reefs surrounding Barbados or asthmatic episodes, but evidence has not wholly supported the former claim.

Access to biocapacity in Barbados is much lower than world average. In 2016, Barbados had 0.17 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, much less than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person. In 2016 Barbados used 0.84 global hectares of biocapacity per person - their ecological footprint of consumption. This means they use approximately five times as much biocapacity as Barbados contains. As a result, Barbados is running a biocapacity deficit.

Wildlife

Main article: Fauna of Barbados

Barbados is host to four species of nesting turtles (green turtles, loggerheads, hawksbill turtles, and leatherbacks) and has the second-largest hawksbill turtle-breeding population in the Caribbean. The driving of vehicles on beaches can crush nests buried in the sand and such activity is discouraged in nesting areas.

Barbados is also the host to the green monkey. The green monkey is found in West Africa from Senegal to the Volta River. It has been introduced to the Cape Verde islands off north-western Africa, and the West Indian islands of Saint Kitts, Nevis, Saint Martin, and Barbados. It was introduced to the West Indies in the late 17th century when slave trade ships travelled to the Caribbean from West Africa. The green monkey is considered a very curious and mischievous/troublesome animal by locals.

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Barbados and Barbadians
A bus stop in Barbados

The 2010 national census conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service reported a resident population of 277,821, of which 144,803 were female and 133,018 were male.

The life expectancy for Barbados residents as of 2020 is 80 years. The average life expectancy is 83 years for females and 79 years for males (2020). Barbados and Japan have the highest per capita occurrences of centenarians in the world.

The crude birth rate is 12.23 births per 1,000 people, and the crude death rate is 8.39 deaths per 1,000 people. The infant mortality rate was 11.057 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, according to UNICEF.

Ethnicity

People shopping in the capital Bridgetown

Close to 90% of all Barbadians (also known colloquially as "Bajan") are of Afro-Caribbean ancestry ("Afro-Bajans") and mixed ancestry. The remainder of the population includes groups of Europeans ("Anglo-Bajans" / "Euro-Bajans") mainly from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Italy. Other European groups consisted of the French, Austrians, Spaniards, and Russians. Asians, predominantly from Hong Kong and India (both Hindu and Muslim) make up less than 1% of the population. Other groups in Barbados include people from the United States and Canada. Barbadians who return after years of residence in the United States and children born in America to Bajan parents are called "Bajan Yankees", a term considered derogatory by some. Generally, Bajans recognise and accept all "children of the island" as Bajans, and refer to each other as such.

The biggest communities outside the Afro-Caribbean community are:

  1. The Indo-Guyanese, an important part of the economy due to the increase of immigrants from partner country Guyana. There are reports of a growing Indo-Bajans diaspora originating from Guyana and India starting around 1990. Predominantly from southern India, they are growing in size but are smaller than the equivalent communities in Trinidad and Guyana. The Muslim Barbadians of Indian origin are largely of Gujarati ancestry. Many small businesses in Barbados are run and operated by Muslim-Indian Bajans.
  2. Euro-Bajans (5% of the population) have settled in Barbados since the 17th century, originating from England, Ireland, Portugal, and Scotland. In 1643, there were 37,200 whites in Barbados (86% of the population). More commonly they are known as "White Bajans". Euro-Bajans introduced folk music, such as Irish music and Highland music, and certain place names, such as "Scotland District", a hilly region in the parish of St. Andrew. Among White Barbadians there exists an underclass known as Redlegs comprising followers of the Duke of Monmouth after his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor, as well as the descendants of Irish indentured labourers and prisoners imported to the island. Many additionally moved on to become the earliest settlers of modern-day North and South Carolina in the United States. Today the Redlegs number only around 400.
  3. Chinese-Barbadians are a small portion of Barbados's wider Asian population. Chinese food and culture is becoming part of everyday Bajan culture.
  4. Lebanese and Syrians form the island's Arab Barbadian community.
  5. Jews arrived in Barbados just after the first settlers in 1627. Bridgetown is the home of Nidhe Israel Synagogue, one of the oldest Jewish synagogues in the Americas, dating from 1654, though the current structure was erected in 1833, replacing one ruined by the hurricane of 1831. Tombstones in the neighbouring cemetery date from the 1630s. Now under the care of the Barbados National Trust, the site was deserted in 1929 but was saved and restored by the Jewish community beginning in 1986.
  6. In the 17th century, Romani people were sent from the United Kingdom to work as slaves in the plantations in Barbados.

Languages

English is the official language of Barbados, and is used for communications, administration, and public services all over the island. In its capacity as the official language of the country, the standard of English tends to conform to vocabulary, pronunciations, spellings, and conventions akin to, but not exactly the same as, those of British English. For most people, however, Bajan Creole is the language of everyday life. It does not have a standardised written form, but it is used by over 90% of the population.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Barbados
Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels, Bridgetown

Christianity is the largest religion in Barbados, with the largest denomination being Anglican (23.9% of the population in 2019). Other Christian denominations with significant followings in Barbados are the Catholic Church (administered by Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgetown), Pentecostals (19.5%), Jehovah's Witnesses, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Spiritual Baptists. The Church of England was the official state religion until its legal disestablishment by the Parliament of Barbados following independence. As of 2019, 21% of Barbadians report having no religion, making the non-religious the second largest group after Anglicans. Smaller religions in Barbados include Hinduism, Islam, the Baháʼí Faith, and Judaism.

The state is considered secular, guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief to all and featuring only symbolic allusions to a higher power in the preamble to the constitution.

Government and politics

Main articles: Government of Barbados and Politics of Barbados
The Barbados parliament building in Bridgetown

Barbados has been an independent country since 30 November 1966. It functions as a parliamentary republic modelled on the British Westminster system. The head of state is the President of Barbados – presently Sandra Mason – elected by the Parliament of Barbados for a term of four years, and advised on matters of the Barbadian state by the Prime Minister of Barbados, who is head of government. There are 30 representatives within the House of Assembly, the lower chamber of Parliament. In the Senate, the upper chamber of Parliament, there are 21 senators.

The Constitution of Barbados is the supreme law of the country. Legislation is passed by the Parliament of Barbados but does not have the force of law unless the President grants her assent to that law. The right to withhold assent is absolute and cannot be overridden by Parliament. The Attorney General heads the independent judiciary.

During the 1990s, at the suggestion of Trinidad and Tobago's Patrick Manning, Barbados attempted a political union with Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The project stalled after the then prime minister of Barbados, Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, became ill and his Democratic Labour Party lost the next general election. Barbados continues to share close ties with Trinidad and Tobago and with Guyana, claiming the highest number of Guyanese immigrants after the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Barbados is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Political culture

Main article: Elections in Barbados

Barbados functions as a two-party system. The dominant political parties are the Democratic Labour Party and the incumbent Barbados Labour Party. Since independence on 30 November 1966, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has governed from 1966 to 1976; 1986 to 1994; and from 2008 to 2018; and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has governed from 1976 to 1986; 1994 to 2008; and from 2018 to present.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Barbados

Barbados follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states. Barbados is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth of Nations, and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). In 2005, Barbados replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court of appeal.

Barbados has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

World Trade Organization, European Commission, CARIFORUM

Barbados is an original member (1995) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and participates actively in its work. It grants at least MFN treatment to all its trading partners. European Union relations and cooperation with Barbados are carried out both on a bilateral and a regional basis. Barbados is party to the Cotonou Agreement, through which, As of December 2007, it is linked by an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Commission. The pact involves the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) subgroup of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). CARIFORUM is the only part of the wider ACP-bloc that has concluded the full regional trade-pact with the European Union. There are also ongoing EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and EU-CARIFORUM dialogues.

Trade policy has also sought to protect a small number of domestic activities, mostly food production, from foreign competition, while recognising that most domestic needs are best met by imports.

The Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaty 1994

On 6 July 1994, at the Sherbourne Conference Centre, St. Michael, Barbados, representatives of eight countries signed the Double Taxation Relief (CARICOM) Treaties 1994. The countries which were represented were: Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

On 19 August 1994, a representative of the Government of Guyana signed a similar treaty.

Military and law enforcement

The Barbados Defence Force has roughly 800 members. Within it, service members aged 14 to 18 years make up the Barbados Cadet Corps. The defence preparations of the island nation are closely tied to defence treaties with the United Kingdom, the United States, the People's Republic of China, and other eastern Caribbean countries.

The Barbados Police Service is the sole law enforcement agency on the island of Barbados.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Parishes of Barbados

Barbados is divided into 11 parishes:

  1. Christ Church
  2. Saint Andrew
  3. Saint George
  4. Saint James
  5. Saint John
  6. Saint Joseph
  7. Saint Lucy
  8. Saint Michael
  9. Saint Peter
  10. Saint Philip
  11. Saint Thomas
Atlantic Ocean Saint Lucy Saint
Peter
Saint
Andrew
Saint
James
Saint
Thomas
Saint
Joseph
Saint
John
Saint
George
Saint
Michael
Christ
Church
Saint
Philip
BARBADOS

Economy

Main article: Economy of Barbados
1 oz Silver Caribbean Seahorse – Sovereign coin backed by the Barbados government

Barbados is the 52nd richest country in the world in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, has a well-developed mixed economy, and a moderately high standard of living. According to the World Bank, Barbados is one of 83 high income economies in the world. Despite this, a 2012 self-study in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank revealed 20% of Barbadians live in poverty, and nearly 10% cannot meet their basic daily food needs. Barbados was ranked 77th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.

Historically, the economy of Barbados had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but since the late 1970s and early 1980s it has diversified into the manufacturing and tourism sectors. Offshore finance and information services have become important foreign exchange earners.

Partly due to the staging of the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the island saw a construction boom, with the development and redevelopment of hotels, office complexes, and homes. This slowed during the 2008 to 2012 world economic crisis and the recession.

There was a strong economy between 1999 and 2000 but the economy went into recession in 2001 and 2002 due to slowdowns in tourism, consumer spending and the impact of the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States and the 7 July 2005 London bombings in the United Kingdom. The economy rebounded in 2003 and has shown growth since 2004 which continued right through to 2008. The economy went into recession again from 2008 to 2013 before showing growth from 2014 to 2017. Then it declined to another recession from 2017 to 2019 during the world economic crisis. There were 23 downgrades by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The economy showed signs of recovery with 3 upgrades from Standard and Poor's and Moody's in 2019. From 1 January to 31 March 2020 the economy had started to grow, but then it experienced another decline due to the COVID-19 economic recession.

Traditional trading partners include Canada, the Caribbean Community (especially Trinidad and Tobago), the United Kingdom and the United States. Recent government administrations have continued efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage foreign direct investment, and privatise remaining state-owned enterprises. Unemployment was reduced to 10.7% in 2003. However, it has since increased to 11.9% in second quarter, 2015.

The European Union is assisting Barbados with a €10 million program of modernisation of the country's International Business and Financial Services Sector.

Barbados maintains the third largest stock exchange in the Caribbean region. As of 2009, officials at the stock exchange were investigating the possibility of augmenting the local exchange with an International Securities Market (ISM) venture.

Sovereign default and restructuring

By May 2018, Barbados's outstanding debt climbed to US$7.5 billion, more than 1.7 times the country's GDP. In June 2018 the government defaulted on its sovereign debt when it failed to make a coupon on Eurobonds maturing in 2035. Outstanding bond debt of Barbados reached US$4.4 billion.

In October 2019, Barbados concluded restructuring negotiations with a creditor group including investments funds Eaton Vance Management, Greylock Capital Management, Teachers Advisors and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry. Creditors will exchange existing bonds for a new debt series maturing in 2029. The new bonds involve a principal "haircut" of approximately 26% and include a clause allowing for deferment of principal and capitalization of interest in the event of a natural disaster.

Health

The main hospital on the island is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital; however, Barbados has eight polyclinics across five parishes. There are also well-known medical care centres in Barbados such as Bayview Hospital, Sandy Crest Medical Centre and FMH Emergency Medical Clinic.

Education

Main article: Education in Barbados
Schoolchildren in Saint Philip, Barbados

The Barbados literacy rate is ranked close to 100%. The mainstream public education system of Barbados is fashioned after the British model. The government of Barbados spends 6.7% of its GDP on education (2008).

All young people in the country must attend school until age 16. Barbados has over 70 primary schools and over 20 secondary schools throughout the island. There are a number of private schools, including those offering Montessori and International Baccalaureate education. Student enrolment at these schools represents less than 5% of the total enrolment of the public schools.

Certificate-, diploma- and degree-level education in the country is provided by the Barbados Community College, the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology, Codrington College, and the Cave Hill campus and Open Campus of the University of the West Indies. Barbados is also home to several overseas medical schools, such as Ross University School of Medicine and the American University of Integrative Sciences, School of Medicine.

Educational testing

Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination: Children who are 11 years old on 1 September in the year of the examination are required to write the examination as a means of allocation to secondary school.

Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are usually taken by students after five years of secondary school and mark the end of standard secondary education. The CSEC examinations are equivalent to the Ordinary Level (O-Levels) examinations and are targeted toward students 16 and older.

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) are taken by students who have completed their secondary education and wish to continue their studies. Students who sit for the CAPE usually possess CSEC or an equivalent certification. The CAPE is equivalent to the British Advanced Levels (A-Levels), voluntary qualifications that are intended for university entrance.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Barbados

Barbados is a blend of West African, Portuguese, Creole, Indian and British cultures. Citizens are officially called Barbadians, but are colloquially known as "Bajans" (pronounced ˈbājənz). This term evolved from "Badian" (a shortening of "Barbadian") during the 19th-century.

The largest carnival-like cultural event that takes place on the island is the Crop Over festival, which was established in 1974. As in many other Caribbean and Latin American countries, Crop Over is an important event for many people on the island, as well as the thousands of tourists that flock to there to participate in the annual events. The festival includes musical competitions and other traditional activities, and features the majority of the island's homegrown calypso and soca music for the year. The male and female Barbadians who harvested the most sugarcane are crowned as the King and Queen of the crop. Crop Over gets under way at the beginning of July and ends with the costumed parade on Kadooment Day, held on the first Monday of August. New calypso/soca music is usually released and played more frequently from the beginning of May to coincide with the start of the festival.

Art

Barbadian art has evolved over the centuries, influenced by the island's complex history, which includes Indigenous cultures, colonial periods, and the subsequent emergence of a vibrant post-colonial identity. The interplay of African, European, and Caribbean influences has given rise to a unique artistic heritage that continues to inspire contemporary artists.

The latter part of the 20th century and into the 21st century witnessed a cultural renaissance in Barbadian art now documented by Raskal Magazine. Artists began to explore diverse mediums and techniques, blending traditional practices with contemporary expressions. This period of experimentation contributed to the dynamic and multifaceted nature of Barbadian art, reflecting the island's openness to cultural exchange and adaptation.

Barbadian artists, mindful of their place within the global art community, began to engage with international artistic trends. This global perspective led to a cross-pollination of ideas, as artists drew inspiration from diverse sources while simultaneously contributing to the broader discourse on Caribbean and diasporic art.

Media

Main article: Mass media in Barbados

Cuisine

Main article: Barbadian cuisine
Mount Gay Rum visitors centre

Bajan cuisine is a mixture of African, Indian, Irish, Creole and British influences. A typical meal consists of a main dish of meat or fish, normally marinated with a mixture of herbs and spices, hot side dishes, and one or more salads. A common Bajan side dish could be pickled cucumber, fish cakes, bake, etc. The meal is usually served with one or more sauces. The national dish of Barbados is cou-cou and flying fish with spicy gravy. Another traditional meal is pudding and souse, a dish of pickled pork with spiced sweet potatoes. A wide variety of seafood and meats are also available.

The Mount Gay Rum visitor's centre in Barbados claims to be the world's oldest remaining rum company, with the earliest confirmed deed from 1703. Cockspur Rum and Malibu are also from the island. Barbados is home to the Banks Barbados Brewery, which brews Banks Beer, a pale lager, as well as Banks Amber Ale. Banks also brews Tiger Malt, a non-alcoholic malted beverage. 10 Saints beer is brewed in Speightstown, St. Peter in Barbados and aged for 90 days in Mount Gay 'Special Reserve' Rum casks. It was first brewed in 2009 and is available in certain Caricom nations.

Music

Further information: Music of Barbados
International pop star Rihanna, a native of Barbados, is a nine-time Grammy Award winner and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, selling over 200 million records worldwide.

The music of Barbados includes distinctive national styles of folk and popular music, including elements of Western classical and religious music. The culture of Barbados is a syncretic mix of African and British elements, and the island's music reflects this mix through song types and styles, instrumentation, dances, and aesthetic principles.

Barbadian folk traditions include the Landship movement, which is a satirical, informal organization based on the Royal Navy, tea meetings, tuk bands and numerous traditional songs and dances. In modern Barbados, popular styles include calypso, spouge, contemporary folk and world music. Barbados is, along with Guadeloupe, Martinique, Trinidad, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, one of the few centres for Caribbean jazz.

In 2009, Rihanna was appointed as an Honorary Ambassador of Youth and Culture for Barbados by the late Prime Minister David Thompson.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Barbados
A horse and rider at Garrison Savannah

As in other Caribbean countries of British colonial heritage, cricket is very popular on the island. The West Indies cricket team usually includes several Barbadian players. In addition to several warm-up, group stage and few "Super Eight" matches, the country hosted the final of the 2007 Cricket World Cup and 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Barbados has produced many great cricketers including Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Gordon Greenidge, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Joel Garner, Desmond Haynes and Malcolm Marshall.

In Track and Field, sprinter Obadele Thompson won a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. As of August 2022, he was the first Olympics medalist in the Barbados.

Ryan Brathwaite won a gold medal in the 110 metres hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.

Rugby is also popular in Barbados.

Horse racing takes place at the Historic Garrison Savannah close to Bridgetown. Spectators can pay for admission to the stands. Admission to the Grand Stand costs between US$2.50 and US$5.00.

Basketball is an increasingly popular sport, played at school or college. The Barbados men's national team has additionally shown some international success, including a fifth-place finish in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Polo is very popular amongst the rich elite on the island and the "High-Goal" Apes Hill team is based at the St James's Club.

Kensington Oval in Bridgetown hosted the 2007 Cricket World Cup final. Cricket is one of the most followed games in Barbados and Kensington Oval is often referred to as the "Mecca in Cricket" due to its significance and contributions to the sport.

In golf, the Barbados Open, played at Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, was an annual stop on the European Seniors Tour from 2000 to 2009. In December 2006 the WGC-World Cup took place at the country's Sandy Lane resort on the Country Club course, an 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio. The Barbados Golf Club is another course on the island.

Volleyball is also popular and is mainly played indoors.

Tennis is gaining popularity and Barbados is home to Darian King, who has achieved a career-high ranking of 106 in May 2017 and has played in the 2016 Summer Olympics and the 2017 US Open.

Motorsports also play a role, with Rally Barbados occurring each summer and being listed on the FIA NACAM calendar. Also, the Bushy Park Circuit hosted the Race of Champions in 2014.

The presence of the trade winds along with favourable swells make the southern tip of the island an ideal location for wave sailing (an extreme form of the sport of windsurfing).

Barbados also hosts several international surfing competitions.

Netball is also popular with women in Barbados.

Several players in the National Football League (NFL) are from Barbados, including Robert Bailey, Roger Farmer, Elvis Joseph, Ramon Harewood and Sam Seale.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Barbados
A Hino ACME Minibus B 163 in Speightstown, St. Peter, Barbados

Although Barbados is about 34 km (21 mi) across at its widest point, a car journey from Six Cross Roads in St. Philip (south-east) to North Point in St. Lucy (north-central) can take one and a half hours or longer due to traffic. Barbados has half as many registered cars as citizens. In Barbados, drivers drive on the left side of the road.

Barbados is known for its many roundabouts. One famous roundabout is located east of Bridgetown and holds the Emancipation Statue of the slave Bussa.

Transport on the island is relatively convenient with "route taxis" called "ZRs" (pronounced "Zed-Rs") travelling to most points on the island. These small buses can at times be crowded, as passengers are generally never turned down regardless of the number. They will usually take the more scenic routes to destinations. They generally depart from the capital Bridgetown or from Speightstown in the northern part of the island.

Including the ZRs, there are three bus systems running seven days a week (though less frequently on Sundays). There are ZRs, the yellow minibuses and the blue Transport Board buses. A ride on any of them costs Bds$ 3.5. The smaller buses from the two privately owned systems ("ZRs" and "minibuses") can give change; the larger blue buses from the government-operated Barbados Transport Board system cannot, but do give receipts. The Barbados Transport Board buses travel in regular bus routes and scheduled timetables across Barbados. Schoolchildren in school uniform including some Secondary schools ride for free on the government buses and for Bds$ 2.5 on the ZRs. Most routes require a connection in Bridgetown. Barbados Transport Board's headquarters are located at Kay's House, Roebuck Street, St. Michael, and the bus depots and terminals are located in the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal in Fairchild Street and the Princess Alice Bus Terminal (which was formerly the Lower Green Bus Terminal in Jubilee Gardens, Bridgetown, St. Michael) in Princess Alice Highway, Bridgetown, St. Michael; the Speightstown Bus Terminal in Speightstown, St. Peter; the Oistins Bus Depot in Oistins, Christ Church; and the Mangrove Bus Depot in Mangrove, St. Philip. In July 2020, the Barbados Transport Board received 33 BYD electric buses which were obtained not only to add to the aging fleet of diesel buses but also to assist the Government in their goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuels by 2030.

Some hotels also provide visitors with shuttles to points of interest on the island from outside the hotel lobby. There are several locally owned and operated vehicle rental agencies in Barbados but there are no multi-national companies.

The island's lone airport is the Grantley Adams International Airport. It receives daily flights by several major airlines from points around the globe, as well as several smaller regional commercial airlines and charters. The airport serves as a southern air-transportation hub for the Caribbean. It underwent a US$100 million upgrade and expansion from 2003 to 2006. In 2023, it began conversion of its former Concorde terminal and museum to a new departure terminal, and in December 2023, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced the negotiations for a US$300 million for additional airport development.

The Bridgetown seaport is the primary port of call for commercial container and cruise traffic.

There was also a helicopter shuttle service, which offered air taxi services to a number of sites around the island, mainly on the West Coast tourist belt. Air and maritime traffic was regulated by the Barbados Port Authority.

See also

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