Barbados
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry information - Barbados
Country name - conventional long form : none
Country name - conventional short form : Barbados
Country name - local long form :
Country name - local short form :
Country name - former :
Country code : BB
Government type : parliamentary democracy
Capital - name : Bridgetown
Capital - time difference : UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Population : 281,968 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
Nationality - adjective : Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Languages : English
Currency (code) : Barbadian dollar (BBD)
Currency code : BBD
Major infectious diseases - degree of risk :
Major infectious diseases - note :
Barbados is located Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela. The climate is tropical; rainy season (June to October). The terrain is relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.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.
