Area: 430 sq km (166 sq mi)
Population: 264,000
Capital city: Bridgetown (pop 7500)
People: African (90%), English, Scottish & East Indians
Language: English
Religion: Anglican (50%), Methodist, Moravian
Government: Independent state within the British Commonwealth
Governor-General: Sir Clifford Husbands
Prime Minister: Owen ArthurGDP: US$2.9 billion
GDP growth rate: 3%
GDP per head: US$11,200
Major industries: Tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly
for export, agriculture, fishing
Major trading partners: Caribbean Community (CARICOM), UK, US
National Flag: Three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident).
Barbados was first settled by the Arawak Indians, who were driven off the island around 1200 AD by invading Carib Indians from Venezuela. The Caribs themselves abandoned Barbados around the time the first Europeans sailed into the region. The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Its economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados is ranked by the UN as the World's number one developing country. Barbados is ruled under a Democratic Parliamentary system and has strong political stability and a high standard of living.
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996-2000. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. Growth should remain steady in 2001, with new tourist facilities a plus factor.
Aside from its Spanish name, very little Spanish (or other continental) influence
remains on Barbados. Its position in the Windwards made the island relatively
safe from invasion, leaving British culture to incubate here for nearly 400
years. Despite the British influence, West Indian culture is strong in family
life, food and music.
Calypso artist the Mighty Gabby, whose songs on cultural identity and political protest speak for emerging black pride throughout the Caribbean, is from Barbados. It's not really surprising that Barbados is fertile ground for such voices since it still suffers from a history of racial segregation and discrimination by the white minority against the black majority. More than 70 per cent of the island's 260 000 people are direct descendents from the forced mass Africa migration of the late 1600s and 1700s-the slave trade. The island also has a peaceful blend of European (primarily British) settler blood with the Afro descendents, as well as small but vibrant Hindu (India), Arab (Lebanese and Syrian) and Jewish communities.
Kamau Brathwaite
Works:
Didn't He Ramble, South, Wings of a Dove, The Visibility Trigger, Folkways,Calypso,
Legba,
Stone.
Anthony Hinkson
Janet -- Sounds of a Hurricane
Visas: are required for citizens from the People's Republic of China,
Taiwan, Pakistan, non-Commonwealth African countries and all South American
countries except Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. All visitors are officially
required to be in possession of an onward or return ticket.
Health risks: Dengue fever, diarrhea and intestinal parasites; leptospirosis can be present in freshwater streams
The best and cheapest transport option on Barbados is the bus. There are three kinds of buses: government-operated public buses, which have the most extensive routes; a privately operated minibus system; and route taxis.
Renting a car is another good way of getting around.Temporary driving permits are required; they can be obtained for a small fee through your rental agency. In Barbados, you drive on the left.
Taxis are also available and fares are fixed by the government. However, vehicles are unmetered so establish a fare in advance, especially if you hire a taxi for a sightseeing tour. Bicycles can be rented in Hastings and Maxwell.