Commonwealth country profile: Barbados
BARBADOS This is an island with a population of 272,000. The few numbers are probably explained by a series of terraced ranges to Mount Hillaby. The north-east is eroded and rocky. The rest of the island is coral limestone in deep river bed gullies that fill with water during heavy rains.
BARBADOS This is an island with a population of 272,000. The few numbers are probably explained by a series of terraced ranges to Mount Hillaby.
The north-east is eroded and rocky. The rest of the island is coral limestone in deep river bed gullies that fill with water during heavy rains.
The island has no permanent rivers. On the east coast, much of the shoreline is rocky, pounded by a strong surf.
Elsewhere, natural coral reefs surround turquoise seas and white sand beaches.
Despite an impassable shoreline, Barbados has an all-paved road network of 1,650km, with a highway crossing from Bridgetown, the capital city, to the east coast.
The island is also known for its sunshine, beaches and cricket. A combination of the above has caused tourism to overtake the production and export of sugar as the island’s main revenue earner. The result is a higher living standard than many of its Caribbean neighbours.
To the south of Barbados is St. Lucia; to the east is St. Vincent and the Grenadines and north of Trinidad and Tobago. This island is believed to have been inhabited by cave-dwellers from Florida. Apparently, at a later time, Arawaks, who were agriculturalists, excellent weavers and potters, arrived from South America.
By the early 1500s, Spanish and Portuguese sailors had sighted the island. It was invaded in 1518 by Spanish colonists from Hispaniola. No Spanish settlement was made, as there appeared to be no mineral resources, but the island acquired a Spanish name - Barbados or ‘bearded’, apparently a reference to local fig-trees.
By 1536, the island was deserted, either because the slavers had depopulated it or because the remaining inhabitants had fled.
Between 1627 and 1640, the island was reportedly settled by British colonists, who brought with them indentured labour from Britain and some enslaved Africans, to produce tobacco, cotton and indigo.
The introduction of sugar in the 1650s had led to the development of large plantations and by 1685, the population was around 50,000, consisting mainly of African slaves. This gave Barbados a population with 90% of African descent, 4% European and the remaining 6% Asian and mixed descent.
Barbados became an independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth on November, 30, 1966.
The Barbadian government has tried to boost offshore banking and to encourage investment in information technology.
The country has offshore reserves of oil and natural gas, but faces pollution of coastal waters from water disposal by ships and soil erosion, which threatens underground water supply.
Governor-General Sir Clifford Husbands represents Queen Elizabeth ll
Compiled by Elizabeth Agiro
The north-east is eroded and rocky. The rest of the island is coral limestone in deep river bed gullies that fill with water during heavy rains.
The island has no permanent rivers. On the east coast, much of the shoreline is rocky, pounded by a strong surf.
Elsewhere, natural coral reefs surround turquoise seas and white sand beaches.
Despite an impassable shoreline, Barbados has an all-paved road network of 1,650km, with a highway crossing from Bridgetown, the capital city, to the east coast.
The island is also known for its sunshine, beaches and cricket. A combination of the above has caused tourism to overtake the production and export of sugar as the island’s main revenue earner. The result is a higher living standard than many of its Caribbean neighbours.
To the south of Barbados is St. Lucia; to the east is St. Vincent and the Grenadines and north of Trinidad and Tobago. This island is believed to have been inhabited by cave-dwellers from Florida. Apparently, at a later time, Arawaks, who were agriculturalists, excellent weavers and potters, arrived from South America.
By the early 1500s, Spanish and Portuguese sailors had sighted the island. It was invaded in 1518 by Spanish colonists from Hispaniola. No Spanish settlement was made, as there appeared to be no mineral resources, but the island acquired a Spanish name - Barbados or ‘bearded’, apparently a reference to local fig-trees.
By 1536, the island was deserted, either because the slavers had depopulated it or because the remaining inhabitants had fled.
Between 1627 and 1640, the island was reportedly settled by British colonists, who brought with them indentured labour from Britain and some enslaved Africans, to produce tobacco, cotton and indigo.
The introduction of sugar in the 1650s had led to the development of large plantations and by 1685, the population was around 50,000, consisting mainly of African slaves. This gave Barbados a population with 90% of African descent, 4% European and the remaining 6% Asian and mixed descent.
Barbados became an independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth on November, 30, 1966.
The Barbadian government has tried to boost offshore banking and to encourage investment in information technology.
The country has offshore reserves of oil and natural gas, but faces pollution of coastal waters from water disposal by ships and soil erosion, which threatens underground water supply.
Governor-General Sir Clifford Husbands represents Queen Elizabeth ll
Compiled by Elizabeth Agiro