Barbados, island country in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, situated about 100 miles (160 km) east of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Roughly triangular in shape, the island measures some 20 miles (32 km) from northwest to southeast and about 15 miles (25 km) from east to west at its widest point. The capital and largest town is Bridgetown, which is also the main seaport. People of African descent and of mixed African-European descent make up more than nine-tenths of the population. A small fraction of the population is of European (mainly British) descent, and there is an even smaller number of inhabitants who originated from the Indian subcontinent. There are small groups of Syrians, Lebanese, and Chinese. Sugar production dominated the economy until the 1950s, but the industry has declined in importance. Apart from some small deposits of crude oil and natural gas that provide about one-third of the island’s energy needs, Barbados has few natural resources. Apart from some quarrying of clay, limestone, and sand, the mining industry is limited to oil and natural gas production. Tourism is vital to the economy as the chief foreign-exchange earner as well as a major employer.
Things to Do
Crop Over
The Crop Over Festival is a 3 month-long festival of Barbadian music, arts, food, culture and so much more. Barbados ends the festivities with a grand carnival parade know as Kadooment Day.
Cricket
Cricket is the national sport, and Barbados contributes many players to the West Indies team, which is known throughout the world.
