Posted April 17, 2012 by John in North Americas
 
 

A Guide to Barbados


Barbados is an island nation in the North Atlantic right next to the Caribbean Sea and the Windward Islands, and out of the main Atlantic hurricane belt. The official language is English, and the government is a stable parliamentary democracy. Barbados has been independent from the United Kingdom since 1966. The Barbadian national motto is “pride and industry”. The island itself measures 21 by 14 miles, and the capitol city of Barbados is Bridgetown. Other major towns of Barbados are Holetown, Speightstown, Bathsheba and The Crane.

Barbados is a Tourist Destination

Barbados is a major Caribbean area tourist destination, with a Barbados vacation being a very common reason for paying a visit, and is one of the most developed islands in that part of the world. For comparison, the island of Barbados is about 2.5 times larger than Washington, DC. A vacation in Barbados might include a stay at an internationally known hotel or perhaps a local hotel or a private villa. There are also Barbadian timeshares. The sandy beaches of Barbados tend to be white and pinkish in color. Surfing is also an option there. Barbados has a warm, moderately tropical climate. Besides tourism there is also business on Barbados, with sugarcane cultivation, light manufacturing, offshore finance and information services taking place there.

Barbados in Detail

There is also some growing of vegetables and cotton, some component assembly for export and a sugar industry. Tourism, however, is the mainstay of the Barbadian economy. The workforce of Barbados is well-educated and the country is in the same Eastern time zone as some major US financial centers. Also there is medical tourism there. There are also many cultures present on Barbados, including many Afro-Caribbean people, some Europeans, Chinese, Lebanese and Syrian Arabs, Jews, Indians and of course many visitors to the island. Cricket is the national sport of Barbados, and there are festivals and music competitions. There is much folk music on Barbados. Pop star Rihanna, who grew up on Barbados, is the Barbadian Honorary Ambassador of youth and culture.

Other Aspects of Barbados

Barbados also has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Barbados is also ranked highly in economic freedom, political liberties, civil rights, quality of life and national happiness. For sports, besides cricket popular pastimes include basketball, volleyball, netball, fishing, diving, snorkeling, scuba diving, water-skiing, sailing, squash, tennis, golf and windsurfing. There are coral reefs surrounding the island. There are also interesting flora, fauna and geology located on the island of Barbados. For transportation on the island, there are buses, taxis, shuttles and automobiles with an extensive road system, a port at Bridgetown and an air taxi service. Barbados can be reached by airlines with its Grantley Adams International Airport.

Susan is a writer for the Romance Blog nbwomenzhifu.org and she would love to share her Romantic Barbados Honeymoon Article.


John