Barbados

Barbados Quick Facts

Called "England of the tropics," Barbados is steeped in colonial history. Even though it's been independent for four-plus decades, Barbados remains part of the Commonwealth. It's a special island in so many ways: We boast a very low crime rate; clean, crystal blue and aqua water; white and pink-white beaches; an ideal climate; a location outside the path of most hurricanes; and a wonderful balance of "laid back" with plenty of excitement if you want to get out of your hammock. Here's more:

• Bajans: Barbadians refer to themselves as "Bajans." When you're here, you'll undoubtedly hear some colorful Bajan slang. For example, to say that an arrogant person will someday be cut down the size, Bajans say, "Today's rooster is tomorrow's feather duster."
• Location: The eastern most Caribbean island, Barbados is at 13.10 N, 59.32 W, just southeast of the Caribbean Island chain (Caribbean map courtesy DefinitiveCaribbean; Barbados map is from WorldAtlas.com.)
• Climate: Tropical, normally 27C (80F) to 30C (86F). The island is constantly cooled by the gentle northeast trade winds blowing off the Atlantic Ocean.
• Time Zone: U.S. East Coast time, although there's no Daylight Savings Time in Barbados and so during the summer Barbados is behind the East Coast of the US by one hour.
• Language: English
• Literacy: 99.7%
• Nationality: Barbadian
• Population: approx. 275,000
• Size: 430 sq km (14 x 11 miles, or 166 sq miles)
• Coastline: 97 km
• Roadways: 1,600km
• Highest Point: Mount Hillaby (336m / 1,100 feet)
• Capital: Bridgetown, St. Michael (Note: In map at right, note our location - St. Lawrence - on the south coast, conveniently situated between our capital, Bridgetown, and the airport.)
• Currency: The Barbadian Dollar BBD ($1.00US = $2.00BBD) US dollars are accepted everywhere on the island, as are all major credit cards.
• Food and Beverage Tax: 15% Value Added Tax
• Religion: Protestant 67% / Roman Catholic 4% / None 17% / Other 12% (one of the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere is located in Barbados)
• Ethnic Groups: Black 90% / White 4% / Asian and mixed 6%
• Independence: November 30, 1966, from the UK
• Electricity: 110 Volts, 50Hz AC
• Country Area Code: 246, dialed just like a number in the US
• Legal System: English Common Law
• Industries: Tourism / Sugar / Light Manufacturing
• Airports: 1 (Grantley Adams International Airport)
• Water: Barbados' water is naturally filtered through limestone and as such is very clean and safe to drink out of the tap.
• Driving: Barbadians drive on the left-hand side of the road. For $5 US you can get a local driver's license; the car rental agency you use will help you with this.
• Dress: Daytime dress is casual, tropical travel beach attire. For women, summery skirts/dresses/slacks and sandals are great for evenings out. Men usually wear a collared sports shirt and slacks at night. It's casual but not as casual as beaches in the States; the more- conservative British influence is seen in dress here. Note on dress: It is illegal to wear camouflage clothing or carry camouflage accessories in Barbados.
• United Nations Fact: Barbados is one of the freest black nations in the world. It also boasts the most-repeat visitors of all the Caribbean islands (34% of Barbados' visitors have been here before).
• Limestone: The limestone-coral (left) gives our beaches their sugar-white sand. Barbados is often referred to as 'the gem of the Caribbean'. It is also affectionately known as 'Bim'.
• Rainy season: The summer months (June to October) are our rainy season, caused by tropical waves and hurricanes off the west coast of Africa that travel over the Atlantic Ocean towards the Caribbean and North America. These storms usually pass well north of Barbados. Our last hurricane was in 1958. Rainfalls come in short bouts due to the higher temperatures at this time of year.