 Barbados — (bär bā´dōz) |
About The People
Did You Know...... Barbados was given its name by a group of Portuguese sailors who landed on the island on their way t »» More
Fashion... Bajan cuisine combines African and English traditions. Fast foods and Pizza are becoming popular.
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Socializing... Informal english phrases are common. »» More
Family... Extended family is important and members may live with or near one another. The mothers role in rear »» More
Sports & Recreation... Cricket is the national sport. The coral reefs encourage diving with sunken ships close for explora »» More
| World Region: The Caribbean
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Barbados History
British sailors who landed on Barbados in the 1620s at the site of present-day Holetown on the Caribbean coast found the island uninhabited. As elsewhere in the eastern Caribbean, Arawak Indians may have been annihilated by invading Caribs, who are believed to have subsequently abandoned the island.
From the arrival of the first British settlers in 1627-28 until independence in 1966, Barbados was a self-funding colony under uninterrupted British rule. Nevertheless, Barbados always enjoyed a large measure of local autonomy. Its House of Assembly, which began meeting in 1639, is the third-oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, preceded only by Bermuda’s legislature and the Virginia »» More | Statistics, Graphs, Charts, & Data Tables
Capital Cities... Bridgetown »» History of Bridgetown
Population: 284,589
GDP: $5,470,000,000 (USD)
Total Area: 431 (sq km) 166 (sq mi)
Currency: Barbadian dollar
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