Barbados

Barbados Background

The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. 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.

Barbados Information

• Population: 278,289 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
• Location:: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
• Religions:: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
• Ethnic Groups:: black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
• Land Boundaries:: 0 km
• Area: total: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 431 sq km
• Coast Line: 97 km
• Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
• Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Land Use: arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
• Natural Resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas
• Highways: total: 1,793 km paved: 1,719 km unpaved: 74 km (1999)
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)
• Airports: 1 (2003 est.)