WHY BARBADOS?
Natural beauty – andromeda gardens – harrison’s cave – barbados wildlife reserve – windsurfing – great beaches and more…

ABOUT BARBADOS
Barbados is predominantly composed of coral and limestone. It is tropical with constant tradewinds and contains of some marshes and mangrove swamps. Some parts of the island’s interior are also dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide pastures with many good views to the sea.

Barbados has one of the highest standards of living and literacy rates in the world and is currently according to the UN’s UNDP, the #1 developing country in the world. The island is a major tourist destination.

HISTORY:
Portuguese explorers probably landed on Barbados in the 16th century, but the first settlement was not established until 1627 and then by English colonists. It was made a Crown possession in 1663. The prosperity of the colony was gravely affected during the 18th century by war between the French and the British and by the American Revolution. Slavery on the island was abolished in 1833, leading to a substantial increase in agricultural production. Severe riots, resulting in bloodshed and loss of property, occurred in 1876, when the British government proposed a confederation of Barbados and the Windward Islands, about 160 km (about 100 mi) to the west. In the following decades the African and mixed majority slowly rose to political power, eventually outnumbering the white landholders in the legislature.

In 1937 poor economic conditions caused serious unrest, and a British Royal Commission was sent to Barbados. As a result, social and political reforms were gradually introduced, and in 1951 universal adult suffrage was achieved. Barbados joined the Federation of the West Indies (1958-1962), which also included Trinidad and Tobago.

Barbados gained full internal self-government in 1961, and it became an independent state in the Commonwealth of the Nations on November 30, 1966. The country is a member of the United Nations and of the Organization of American States. In 1973 Barbados helped form the Caribbean Community, an organization that promotes social and political cooperation and economic integration. Barbados has enjoyed a stable democratic government, and a transfer of power between the two major political parties?the first since 1961?was peacefully achieved in 1976. The election of 1986 reversed the position of the parties in the assembly, and Errol Barrow of the Democratic Labour Party became prime minister. When Barrow died in June 1987, Erskine Sandiford succeeded him. A Barbadian proposal on regional security received favorable consideration by neighboring states in 1991. In 1994, following a no-confidence vote in the assembly, Sandiford lost the position of prime minister to Owen Arthur, a member of the Barbados Labour Party. In 1995 Barbados joined the ACS, an association, comprising members of CARICOM and representatives from 12 other Caribbean nations, that seeks to reduce tariffs between member nations.

PEOPLE / CULTURE:
Blacks make up more than 90 percent of the population; the remainder consists of whites, persons of mixed African and European descent, and East Indians. English is the official language, and a nonstandard English called Bajan is spoken. The Anglican church has the largest congregation.

Little is known of the early history of Barbados – it was probably occupied by Arawak Indians from South America up until the arrival of the Spanish, in the region in the early-16th century. The earliest European arrivals were the Portuguese – also in the early-16th century – although the British established the first settlements in 1627. Barbados was declared a British colony in 1663. Slaves were brought to the island from Africa, to work on the sugar plantations until the abolition of slavery in the mid-19th century. Barbados joined the West Indies Federation in 1958 and was granted internal self-government three years later. Full independence within the British Commonwealth was achieved in 1966.

English is the official language of Barbados

As a result of its long-standing association with England, Barbados is mainly Anglican. The Moravian and Methodist Churches were added to the list of denominations of the 18th century. Since then these have been followed by Roman Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, The Salvation Army and many other small religious groups.

There are small groups of Hindus and Muslims, as well as a small Jewish community. These groups all have complete religious freedom.

The British monarch is Head of State and is represented in Barbados by a Governor General who is advised by the Cabinet and appoints the Prime Minister. The legislature comprises the Governor General, a 21-member Senate and the 28-strong House of Assembly, members of which are elected by universal adult suffrage for terms of up to five years.

The Bajan economy traditionally relied on sugar production but persistently low world market prices forced the government to promote economic diversification. Most effort has concentrated on tourism, which is now the largest employer on the island and continues to show steady growth. Cotton, flowers and plants are being developed as export products. New light industrial projects, such as electronic components, have fared less well, mainly as a result of falling demand in the USA – the principal export market. The island’s other important industry is oil. Two-thirds of offshore output is exported, with the remainder assigned for domestic consumption. Exploration activities have been intensified since the mid-1990s. In the service sector, Barbados has developed an ‘offshore’ financial industry that now accounts for 15 per cent of GDP. Barbados receives some overseas aid from British and US sources and is a member of the Caribbean economic community, CARICOM, which has boosted regional trade. The island has a good transport and communications infrastructure, which should assist future economic development. The main trading partners are the USA, UK and the other CARICOM nations.