Barbados, independent state and easternmost island of the West Indies. It lies east of Saint Vincent and the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. The island is 34 km (21 mi) long and 23 km (14 mi) wide at its widest part and has a total area of 430 sq km (166 sq mi). 

CaribeanCruise vacations are a great way to visit Barbados, a favorite island of James Bond and his movies.

Barbados is generally flat along the coast and hilly in the interior. Mount Hillaby, the highest point, rises to 340 m (1,115 ft). Coral deposits form the surface of the island and are underlain by sedimentary rock. Barbados has no natural deepwater harbors and is largely surrounded by coral reefs. The climate is tropical, tempered by sea breezes; the mean annual temperature is about 26°C (about 79°F). A rainy season prevails from June to December, with average annual rainfall varying from 1,000 mm (about 40 in) on the coast to 2,300 mm (about 90 in) on the central ridge. Hurricanes occasionally strike the island. Wildlife is limited and includes hares, monkeys, mongooses, tree frogs, and various species of birds. Barbados lacks mineral resources, and nearly all the natural vegetation has been cleared for cultivation.

The natural beauty and biodiversity of Barbados attract large numbers of tourists, but the growth in popularity has brought about several problems. Although local revenue has increased, water pollution from waste disposal by ships and damage to surrounding reefs have become major environmental concerns. A 240-hectare (590-acre) marine reserve was established in 1980 to protect the coastline and reefs of Barbados.

The population of Barbados (2001 estimate) is 275,330. The average population density of 640 persons per sq km (1,658 per sq mi) is notably high considering the predominantly rural agricultural character of the island. The annual growth rate of the population during the 1970s and 1980s was kept below 1 percent by out-migration. By the beginning of the 21st century, the population of Barbados had stabilized. The capital, largest city, and only seaport is Bridgetown, with a population (1995 estimate) of 123,000.

About 90 percent of the total population is black; the remaining portion is composed of whites and persons of mixed racial descent. English is the official language. More than 50 percent of the people are Anglicans; other important faiths include various Protestant sects and Roman Catholicism.

The culture of Barbados combines English institutions, which evolved through more than three centuries of English rule, with a folk culture of African origin. The music and dances of Barbados reflect more purely the African heritage. The island has a museum and public library in Bridgetown and 2 daily newspapers.

The island is well served by roads, of which some 1,475 km (915 mi) are paved. An international airport is located at Seawell in the southeast. The artificial deepwater harbor of Bridgetown was opened in 1961. In 1972 a central bank was established and a new unit of currency adopted, the Barbados dollar (2 Barbados dollars equal U.S.$1; 1999 average).

Barbados gained full internal self-government in 1961, and it became an independent state in the Commonwealth of the Nations on November 30, 1966. The country is a member of the United Nations and of the Organization of American States. In 1973 Barbados helped form the Caribbean Community, an organization that promotes social and political cooperation and economic integration. Barbados has enjoyed a stable democratic government, and a transfer of power between the two major political parties—the first since 1961—was peacefully achieved in 1976. The election of 1986 reversed the position of the parties in the assembly, and Errol Barrow of the Democratic Labour Party became prime minister. When Barrow died in June 1987, Erskine Sandiford succeeded him. A Barbadian proposal on regional security received favorable consideration by neighboring states in 1991. In 1994, following a no-confidence vote in the assembly, Sandiford lost the position of prime minister to Owen Arthur, a member of the Barbados Labour Party. Arthur was reelected in 1999. In 1995 Barbados joined the ACS, an association, comprising members of CARICOM and representatives from 12 other Caribbean nations, that seeks to reduce tariffs between member nations.

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