Country Details
| Land Area |
430 sq km |
Population |
267900 |
| Capital City |
Bridgetown |
People |
black 80%, white 4%, other 16% |
| Language |
English, Bajan |
Religion |
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% |
| Government Type |
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign sta |
Life Expectancy |
73.25 years |
| HIV/AIDS Rate |
1.17% (1999 est.) |
GNP per Capita |
$14,500 |
| Currency |
Barbadian dollar (BBD) |
Major Exports |
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages |
| National Holiday |
Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
Dialing Code |
1-246 |
| Electricity |
110/220V |
Malaria Risk |
|
| Water Quality |
Tap water safe in tourist areas |
Inoculations |
Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis A |
| Crime |
Increase in crime, take precautions when visiting secluded areas at night |
Driving License |
Licences recognised if presented to police and fee paid |
| Photography |
|
Entry Regs |
|
| Time Zone |
GMT-5 |
|
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The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
