History UsefulNotes / Barbados

Barbados is an island country located to the east of the Windward Islands chain, in the Lesser Antiles of the North Atlantic Ocean. Despite being in the Atlantic Ocean east of the other [[UsefulNotes/TheCaribbean Caribbean]] islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.

The country became independent in 1966, but remained a part of the Commonwealth Realm for the next 55 years, with then Queen UsefulNotes/ElizabethII as head of state. It became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the head of state now occupied by a ceremonial president, following [[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/barbados-republic-queen-elizabeth-head-state-b450871.html an announcement in September 2020]].

Barbados is an island country located to the east of the Windward Islands chain, in the Lesser Antiles of the North Atlantic Ocean. Despite being in the Atlantic Ocean east of the other Caribbean islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.

The country became independent in 1966, but remained a part of the Commonwealth Realm for the next 55 years, with [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Elizabeth II]] as head of state. It became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the head of state now occupied by a ceremonial president, following [[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/barbados-republic-queen-elizabeth-head-state-b450871.html an announcement in September 2020]].

* British actor Creator/SteveToussaint (''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'') is the son of Barbadian immigrants.

Internationally, the country is famous for being the homeland of Music/{{Rihanna}}, the world's seventh best-selling music artist. Although she no longer lives in Barbados, she holds sole Barbadian citizenship and was appointed Ambassador of Culture and Youth by the Barbadian government in 2018.

* '''Lowest point:''' Atlantic Ocean (3,646 m/11,962 ft) (-)

The Republic of Barbados is an island country located to the east of the Windward Islands chain, in the Lesser Antiles of the North Atlantic Ocean. Despite being in the Atlantic Ocean east of the other Caribbean islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.

The country became independent in 1966, but remained a part of the Commonwealth Realm for the next 55 years, with [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Elizabeth II]] as head of state. It became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the head of state now occupied by a ceremonial president, following [[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/barbados-republic-queen-elizabeth-head-state-b450871.html an announcement in June that year]].

A Commonwealth realm that is preparing to become a republic[[note]]Barbados shares the same head of state as the United Kingdom, that is, [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Elizabeth II]]. Its current prime minister, Mia Mottley, [[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/barbados-republic-queen-elizabeth-head-state-b450871.html announced a plan]] to transition to a republican government headed by a ceremonial president by 30 November 2021, the 55th anniversary of independence.[[/note]] in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados is an island country located to the east of the Windward Islands chain in the North Atlantic Ocean. It became an independent country in 1966. Despite being in the Atlantic Ocean east of the other Caribbean islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.

* Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
** Monarch: Elizabeth II
** Governor-General: Sandra Mason

* '''Highest point:''' Mount Hillaby (336 m/1,102 ft) (192nd)

* '''Highest point:''' Mount Hillaby (336 m/1,102 ft) (177th)

* '''Country calling code:''' [[UsefulNotes/NorthAmericanNumberingPlan 1]] (area code 246)

* '''ISO-3166-1 Code:''' BB

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barbados_flag.png

Originally having cotton, ginger, indigo and tobacco as its exports, the island boomed as a sugar production center in the 1640s with the introduction of sugar cane from Brazil, eventually becoming one of the world's biggest sugar industries at the time. However, this plantation required a large investment and a great deal of heavy labour, and so a large number of African slaves were brought to Barbados, with the island becoming an English center of the African slave trade until slave trading was outlawed in 1807, with the final emancipation of slaves in the country occurring in 1833. To this day, like most of the Commonwealth Caribbean, the majority of the 280,000-strong population are blacks, with whites forming a tiny percentage.

* '''Population:''' 287,025 (182nd)
* '''Area:''' 439 sq km (169 sq mi) (183rd)

* Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

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A Commonwealth realm[[note]]Barbados shares the same head of state as the United Kingdom, that is, [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen Elizabeth II]][[/note]] in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados is an island country located to the east of the Windward Islands chain in the North Atlantic Ocean and was formerly a British colony until it became an independent country in 1966. Despite being in the Atlantic Ocean east of the other Caribbean islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.

The locals affectionately call the island Bim. [[Film/TheApple Nothing to do with that one]].

A Commonwealth realm in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados is an island located to the east of the Windward Islands chain in the North Atlantic Ocean and was formerly a British colony until it became an independent country in 1966. Despite being in the Atlantic Ocean east of the other Caribbean islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.

First inhabited by Amerindian tribes including the Kalinago, Barbados was visited by Spanish navigators and claimed for the Spanish Crown in the late 15th century. The island was later taken over by the English in 1625, and in 1627, it became a English and later British colony as the first permanent settlers arrived from England. Originally having cotton, ginger, indigo and tobacco as it's exports, the island boomed as a sugar production center in the 1640s with the introduction of sugar cane from Brazil, eventually becoming one of the world's biggest sugar industries at the time. However, this plantation required a large investment and a great deal of heavy labour, and so a large number of African slaves were brought to Barbados, with the island becoming an English center of the African slave trade until slave trading was outlawed in 1807, with the final emancipation of slaves in the country occurring in 1833.

The locals affectionately call the island Bim. [[Film/TheApple Nothing to do with that one]].

A Commonwealth realm in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados is an island located to the east of the Windward Islands chain in the North Atlantic Ocean and was formerly a British colony until it became an independent country in 1966. Despite being in the Atlantic east of the other Caribbean islands, it's still considered a part of the Caribbean, and is one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Barbados is also located outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt, and so is often protected from most of the destruction that tropical storms and hurricanes cause to most of the other islands in the region during the rainy season.