Barbados

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Inhabited by Kalinago people since the 13th century, and prior to that by other Indigenous peoples, the island was originally named Ichirouganaim. It was claimed for the Crown of Castile by Spanish navigators in the late 15th century, who named it "Barbudos", and it first appeared on a Spanish map in 1511. The Portuguese Empire claimed the island between 1532 and 1536, but abandoned it in 1620; their only traces were the introduction of wild boars intended as a supply of meat whenever the island was visited. The indigenous population had mostly been sold into slavery, killed or died of disease by that time.

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Etymology

The name "Barbados" is from either the Portuguese term os barbados or the Spanish equivalent, los barbados, both meaning "the bearded ones". It is unclear whether "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia), a species of banyan indigenous to the island, or to the allegedly bearded Kalinago (Island Caribs) who once inhabited the island, or, more fancifully, to a visual impression of a beard formed by the sea foam that sprays over the outlying coral reefs.

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History

Around 700,000 years ago, the island emerged from the ocean as a body of soft rock known as a diapir rose from the mantle beneath its present-day location. This process is still ongoing, raising Barbados at an average rate of 30 centimetres per thousand years. Dozens of inland sea reefs still dominate coastal features within terraces and cliffs on the island.

Archeological evidence suggests humans may have first settled or visited the island c. 1600 BC. More permanent Amerindian settlement of Barbados dates to about the 4th to 7th centuries AD, by a group known as the Saladoid-Barrancoid.

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Geography

Barbados is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies Islands. Barbados is the easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean area. It is 21 miles (34 kilometres) long and up to 23 km (14 mi) wide, covering an area of 439 km2 (169 sq mi). It lies about 168 km (104 mi) east of both the countries of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 180 km (110 mi) south-east of Martinique and 400 km (250 mi) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west, the Windward Islands.

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Government and politics

Barbados has been an independent country since 30 November 1966. It functions as a parliamentary republic modelled on the British Westminster system. The head of state is the President of Barbados – presently Jeffrey Bostic – elected by the Parliament of Barbados for a term of four years, and advised on matters of the Barbadian state by the Prime Minister of Barbados, who is head of government. There are 30 representatives within the House of Assembly, the lower chamber of Parliament. In the Senate, the upper chamber of Parliament, there are 21 senators.

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Economy

Barbados is the 52nd richest country in the world in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, with a well-developed mixed economy and a moderately high standard of living. According to the World Bank, Barbados is one of 83 high income economies in the world. Despite this, a 2012 self-study in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank revealed that 20% of Barbadians live in poverty and nearly 10% cannot meet their basic daily food needs. Barbados was ranked 77th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024, but its ranking dropped to the 84th rank in 2025.

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Demographics

The 2010 national census conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service reported a resident population of 277,821, of whom 144,803 were female and 133,018 were male.

The life expectancy for Barbados residents as of 2020 is 80 years. The average life expectancy is 83 years for females and 79 years for males (2020). Barbados and Japan have the highest per capita occurrences of centenarians in the world.

The crude birth rate is 12.23 births per 1,000 people, and the crude death rate is 8.39 deaths per 1,000 people. The infant mortality rate was 11.057 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, according to UNICEF.

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Culture

Barbados is a blend of West African, Portuguese, Creole, Indian and British cultures. Citizens are officially called Barbadians, but are colloquially known as "Bajans" (pronounced ˈbājənz). This term evolved from "Badian" (a shortening of "Barbadian") during the 19th century.

The largest carnival-like cultural event that takes place on the island is the Crop Over festival, which was established first in 1687 and reintroduced in 1974.

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