Barbados

Overview of Barbados

  • Barbados eventually had one of the world’s biggest sugar industries.[9] One group instrumental in ensuring the early success of the industry were the Sephardic Jews, who had originally been expelled from the Iberian peninsula, to end up in Dutch Brazil.[9] As the effects of the new crop increased, so did the shift in the ethnic composition of Barbados and surrounding islands.
  • Barbados is among the cruise industry’s premier Caribbean ports, with homeport and port-of-call cruises available throughout the year.The most popular dishes are flying fish (a Barbados icon also found on the island’s currency), “cutters,” a local sandwich made using salt bread, and pepperpot, a pork stew in a spicy dark brown sauce.
  • Barbados is a coral limestone outcropping of the South American
    continental shelf that lies in the western Atlantic Ocean, one hundred
    miles (160 kilometers) east of the island of Saint Lucia and two hundred
    miles (320 kilometers) north of Trinidad and the northern coast of South
    America.
  • Barbados is a member of the following Action Groups: Coral Reef Protection and Restoration, Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance, Marine Protected Areas, Ocean Acidification, Ocean and Climate Change, Ocean Observation, and Sustainable Aquaculture
  • Barbados has two environmental organizations that are attempting to prevent soil from eroding in the island’s eastern section, and this trend has caused hundreds of people to relocate to other parts of the country throughout the past 30 years.
  • Barbados is at the forefront of sustainable and eco-friendly tourism, caring for their forests and looking after their unique wildlife, conserving their oceans and protecting rare species like leatherback and Hawksbill turtles.
  • Barbados offers everything from inexpensive guest houses with bed and breakfast from under US $40 daily for a single in the summer to luxury accommodations at a few of the world’s best hotels at $1,600 in the prime season.
  • Barbados’ total land area is 430 km2 (166.0 sq mi), and it has a coastline of 97 km (60 mi) length.[4] a fewtimes compared to a pear[5] or leg of mutton for its physical shape.
  • Barbados Golf Club, located at Durants in the southern parish of Christ Church, has become the soul of golfing in Barbados for local players as well as hotel guests and visitors cruising through the Caribbean.
  • Barbados has a solid infrastructure in place, with a stable economy, good healthcare facilities, world class education from nursery to university level, and reliable and fast Internet connectivity.
  • Continent

    From the Caribbean to continental Europe, experience the delicacies of native Bajan cuisine along with gourmet dining by way of the Far East, Italy, India, and more when you dine at both of our Barbados resorts.You’ll be an honored guest at any of our 17 restaurants, each with its own unique ambiance and setting.

    Population

    As the first Caribbean landfall from Europe and Africa, Barbados has functioned since the late 17th century as a major link between western Europe (mainly Great Britain), eastern Caribbean territories, and parts of the South American mainland.Barbados is not part of the nearby archipelago of the Lesser Antilles, although it is usually grouped with it.Because of its long association with Britain, the culture of Barbados is probably more British than is that of any other Caribbean island, though elements of the African culture of the majority population have been prominent.Since independence, cultural nationalism has been fostered as part of the process of nation-building.The geographic position of Barbados has profoundly influenced the island’s history and culture and aspects of its economic life.The island is of different geologic formation; it is less mountainous and has less variety in plant and animal life.The island was a British possession without interruption from the 17th century to 1966, when it attained independence.

    Size

    Size of Barbados
    166 sq miles

    Do I Need a Passport or Visa for Barbados?

    Visitors must have a valid passport and one blank page for entry stamp.A visa is required for stays longer than six months.

    What can I do to avoid bed bugs?

    Although bed bugs do not carry disease, they are an annoyance.See our information page about avoiding bug bites for some easy tips to avoid them.For more information on bed bugs, see Bed Bugs.

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    New normal: How far is safe enough?

    How countries are adapting social distancing rules and what we know about the risks of coronavirus in public places.

    What are the must-do activities and places to see?

    There’s so much to see and to do in Barbados! From swimming with friendly sea-turtles to exploring the breath-taking beauty of underground caves and other natural attractions or scenic spots, to lounging on some of the Caribbean’s best beaches, there is something for everyone.

    What are the 7 wonders of Barbados?

    Morgan lewis Mill from Ricky Chase on Vimeo.

    When should I take my first COVID-19 PCR prior to travel in Barbados?

    Use our handy calculator below to work out by which date you’ll need to take your first COVID-19 test by.Use our handy calculator below to work out by which date you’ll need to take your first COVID-19 test by.

    Do I Need Vaccines for Barbados?

    Yes, some vaccines are recommended or required for Barbados.The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Barbados: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.

    How Safe and Secure is Barbados?

    Barbados is one of the safest locations in the Caribbean.There are occasional petty crimes such as pickpocketing.But, as long as travelers take minimal precautions, there should be no issues.As with most places, travel in pairs and avoid walking around more remote areas at night.

    Barbados Accommodation – Where to stay in Barbados?

    In Barbados you will find inexpensive guest houses with bed and breakfast from under $40.00 U.S daily for a single in the summer to luxury accommodations at some of the world’s best hotels at $1,600 in the prime season.From large hotels to small intimate guest houses, Barbados has it all.Stay in a cosy country inn, rent self catering apartments or an elegant villa, on the beach, in town or far away in the quiet countryside.And there are hotels for the sports enthusiasts, from water sports to tennis lessons and professional golf courses.Barbados offers accommodation in every class, for every budget and for every taste.

    Where are the best places to stay?

    There are so many accommodation options you are guaranteed to find the perfect place that checks off most if not all of your holiday preferences! Depending on the type of experience you are looking for, we can direct you to some of the best areas to stay.

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    What Is Barbados’s Climate?

    Given the country’s tropical location, Barbados is sunny and warm year round.Being in the middle of the ocean, there is a constant breeze that keeps even the hottest months bearable.There isn’t much rain, but when there is, it usually comes and leaves in quick spurts.

    Does Barbados Have COVID-19 Travel Restrictions?

    While no entry restrictions related to COVID-19 are in place for Barbados, travelers must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.Even airline crew must self-isolate if they disembark from the plane.

    Do I Need A…
    For My Trip to Barbados?

    Sources: Embassy of Barbados and U.S.

    What Should I Take to Barbados?

    When packing for Barbados, travelers should plan for to the warm weather.

    What’s the best time to visit Barbados?

    Honestly there’s really not a bad time to go Barbados! With a lovely climate that typically brings year round sunshine, it’s factors like prices, activity and general conditions that will influence your preferred travel time.These tend to change depending on the time of year, e.g.in the midst of the low season (mid-April to mid-December), it tends to be less busy and rates are cheaper but there may be a higher risk of rain.You may also want to plan your vacation based on What’s On in Barbados.

    Why does CDC recommend packing these health-related items?

    It’s best to be prepared to prevent and treat common illnesses and injuries.Some supplies and medicines may be difficult to find at your destination, may have different names, or may have different ingredients than what you normally use.

    History of Barbados

  • (In 1668, the West Indian sugar crop sold for £180,000 after customs of £18,000.
  • In 1536 the Portuguese explorer Pedro Campos called the island “Os Barbados” (“The Bearded Ones”) because the long hanging aerial roots of the island’s fig trees resembled beards.
  • In 1640, a Spanish manuscript entitled “General Description of All His Majesty’s Dominions in America” called the river “Soronama”.
  • In 1644, the population of Barbados was estimated at 30,000, of which about 800 were of African descent, with the remainder mainly of English descent.
  • In 1650, Lord Willoughby, the governor of Barbados, furnished out a vessel to settle a colony in Suriname.
  • In 1651,
    Barbados won a measure of independence, and established what was to become
    the oldest continuing parliamentary democracy in the world outside
    England.
  • In 1653, instructions given to a British fleet sailing to meet Lord Willoughby in Barbados, which at the time was the seat of English colonial government in the region, again spelled the name of the colony “Surinam”.
  • In 1662, Governor Willoughby was granted the settlement and surrounding lands (extending into Suriname’s interior) by King Charles II.
  • In 1663 most of the work on the 50 or so plantations was done by native Indians and 3,000 African slaves.[9] There were around 1,000 whites there, joined by Brazilian Jews, attracted by religious freedom which was granted to all the settlers by the English.[citation needed]
  • In 1670, the Province of South Carolina was founded, when some of the surplus population again left Barbados.
  • In 1680, over half the arable land was held by 175 large enslavers/planters, each of whom enslaved at least 60 persons.
  • In 1795 the French occupied the Netherlands.
  • In 1816, enslaved persons rose up in what was the first of three rebellions in the British West Indies to occur in the interval between the end of the slave trade and emancipation, and the largest slave uprising in the island’s history.
  • In 1826, the Barbados legislature passed the Consolidated Slave Law, which simultaneously granted concessions to the slaves while providing reassurances to the slave owners.[21]
  • In 1857, the first East Indian immigrants arrived.[22] In 1871 Grenada was connected to the telegraph.
  • In 1872 the first secondary school was built.
  • In 1884, attempts were then made by the influential Barbados Agricultural Society to have Barbados form a political association with the Canadian Confederation.
  • In 1884, the Barbados Agricultural Society sent a letter to Sir Francis Hincks requesting his private and public views on whether the Dominion of Canada would favourably entertain having the then colony of Barbados admitted as a member of the Canadian Confederation.
  • In 1885, after Barbados left the British Windward Islands, the capital of the colonial confederation was moved from Bridgetown to St.
  • In 1946, a West Indian Currency Conference saw Barbados, British Guiana, the Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands agree to establish a unified decimal currency system based on a West Indian dollar to replace the current arrangement of having three different Boards of Commissioners of Currency (for Barbados (which also served the Leeward and Windward Islands), British Guiana and Trinidad & Tobago).[6][7]
  • In 1952, the Barbados Advocate newspaper polled several prominent Barbadian politicians, lawyers, businessmen, the Speaker of the Barbados House of Assembly and later as first President of the Senate, Sir Theodore Branker, Q.C.
  • In 1961, Barrow supplanted Adams as Premier as the DLP took control of the government.
  • In 1964 Jamaica ended the legal tender status of the BWI$[9] and Trinidad and Tobago withdrew from the currency union (adopting the Trinidad and Tobago dollar) forcing the movement of the headquarters of the BCCB to Barbados[6] and soon the “BWI$” dollar lost its regional support.
  • In 1965, the British West Indies dollar of the now defunct West Indies Federation was replaced at par by the Eastern Caribbean dollar and the BCCB was replaced by the Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority or ECCA[8] (established by the Eastern Caribbean Currency Agreement 1965).
  • In 2001 the Caribbean Community heads of government voted on a measure declaring that the region should work towards replacing the UK’s Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice.
  • In 2003, a total of 72,948 tourists visited Dominica, of whom 83% came from the Americas.
  • In 2004 there were two airports, both with paved runways, one is a 760-m (2,500-ft) airstrip at Canefield, about 5 km (3 mi) north of Roseau.
  • In 2005, the country adopted a law to hold a referendum on the matter, though one was never held.
  • In 2006 a local Barbadian group purporting to represent descendants of indigenous Caribbean peoples announced its claim to Culpepper Island, a small rocky outcrop on the eastern shore of Barbados.[16]
  • In 2009[7] and 2010, members of the upscale real estate industry in Barbados proposed the creation of artificial islands to be placed off the west coast.
  • In 2010, Prince Harry visited Barbados to launch the first Sentebale Polo Cup, which aims to raise awareness and funding for Sentebale’s work with vulnerable children in Lesotho.
  • In 2015, Donnya Piggott became Barbados’ first Queen’s Young Leader, in recognition of her work supporting the LGBT community in Barbados.
  • In 2015, the nation imported goods with a cumulative worth of at least $1.6 billion, and Barbados exported products that have a combined value of around $491 million.
  • In 2015, the then-prime minister, Freundel Stuart, set a goal of establishing a republic to coincide with the 50th anniversary of independence.
  • In 2016, as part of his Caribbean visit on behalf of The Queen, Prince Harry visited Barbados.
  • In 2016, the queen sent Prince Harry to Barbados to represent her at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of independence.
  • In 2016, the Secretariat gave Barbados advice on creating effective laws and ways to manage virtual (computer-generated) currencies.
  • In 2016, two Queen’s Young Leaders from Barbados were identified.
  • In 2017, St Vincent and the Grenadines signed maritime boundary agreements with Barbados and St Lucia, reducing the risk of diplomatic disputes.
  • In 2018, a total of 23 homicides were recorded—which, in a country of some 50,000 people, left St.
  • In 2020, Mottley announced that Barbados will leave the British Commonwealth of Nations and become an independent republic by its 55th anniversary in 2021.
  • In 2021, the economic freedom score for Barbados climbed higher in the moderately free category.
  • In the 1980s, tourism and manufacturing overtook the sugar industry in economic importance.
  • On 3 December 1877 the pure Crown colony model replaced Grenada’s old representative system of government.[27] On 3 December 1882, the largest wooden jetty ever built in Grenada was opened in Gouyave.
  • On 6 July 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre in St.
  • On 6 July 1994 at Sherbourne Conference Centre, St Michael, Barbados, as a representative of the Government of St.
  • On 9 June 2003, Caribbean leaders met in Kingston, Jamaica, to ratify a treaty to establish the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).