Barbados History

People of Barbados

The population of Barbados is mainly made up of the blacks, who account for about 90 percent of the total population. The remaining 10 per cent is made up of whites and persons of mixed racial descent.

Almost 30 percent of the people are Anglicans; other important faiths include various Protestant sects and Roman Catholicism. The people of Barbados lay strong emphasis on education, which has been made free and compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 16.

Arts, Culture and Music of Barbados

The culture of Barbados has visible traces of English culture, which had made its presence felt through more than three centuries of English rule. But the folk culture of Barbados clearly has descended from African origin, so ha the music and dances.

Flag of Barbados

The flag of Barbados is made up of three equal vertical bands - blue towards the hoist side, gold in the middle and blue at the bottom. The center gold band has the head of a black trident, which represents independence and a break with the past
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Economy of Barbados

The economy of Barbados is clearly defined by sugarcane cultivation, with the harvest in 2002 totaling to

450,000 metric tons, and the production and export of refined sugar, molasses, and rum. Laying stress on sugarcane cultivation, these plants are widely cultivated on large estates rather. But the government, not wanting to totally depend on sugarcane products, has diversified into other segments like manufacture of clothing, furniture, electrical and electronic equipment, and plastic items. New avenues in petroleum and natural gas are also being exploited by the government. Along with fishing, the government has tried to take tourism to greater heights, with this industry earning more foreign revenue than the sugar industry. But the success of tourism was followed many problems like water pollution from waste disposal by ships, causing damage to surrounding reefs. Barbados is, in fact, a member of two free-trade organizations, the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). The island is well served by roads, of which some 1,475 km are paved. An international airport is located at Seawell in the southeast

Information on Barbados, Its Geography & History

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Barbados History