World Atlas: Barbados. On this page you can see the map, country flag and many detailed information about the people, history and economy of Barbados.
Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Barbados. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Barbados. But let's start with the flag of Barbados here:
Barbados - Overview:
What you should know about Barbados? Let's start with this: The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
Geography of Barbados
Where on the globe is Barbados? The location of this country is Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela. Total area of Barbados is 430 sq km, of which 430 sq km is land. So this is quite a small country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region. The lowest point of Barbados is Atlantic Ocean 0 m, the highest point Mount Hillaby 336 m. And the climate is tropical; rainy season (June to October).
Inhabitants of Barbados
Let's take a look how many people live in Barbados. The number is: 292,336 (July 2017 est.). So not so many people live here. Who lives here? black 92.4%, white 2.7%, mixed 3.1%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.2% (2010 est.). What are the languages in Barbados? English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings). And the religions: Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.). How old are the people in average? 38.6 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 75.5 years. Where the people live in Barbados? Here: most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas. The major urban areas of Barbados are: Bridgetown (capital) 90,000 (2014).
Government and Economy of Barbados
The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown and the government type parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm. Let's take a look at the administrative divisions - 11 parishes and 1 city; Bridgetown, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas. Regarding the economy of Barbados, important industrial products are tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export. Important agricultural products are sugarcane, vegetables, cotton. The most important export commodities are manufactures, sugar, molasses, rum, other foodstuffs and beverages, chemicals, electrical components and the most important export partners are US 39.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 8.9%, Guyana 5.2%, China 4.9%, Jamaica 4.8%, St. Lucia 4.3% (2016). The most important import commodities are consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components and the most important import partners are US 39%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.4%, China 7.3%, UK 4.8% (2016). How rich is Barbados and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $17,500 (2017 est.). This is quite good. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: NA%.