The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown which has beautiful Colonial buildings dating back to the 18th century. The population is estimated to be around 290,000 and the official language is English although there is a widely used local dialect called Bajan. The currency is the Barbadian dollar which is broken down into 100 cents. The time zone in Barbados is Eastern Caribbean time which is GMT -5 hours.

Barbados is located east of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean and its close neighbours are Martinique and St Lucia. The government is an elected parliament and it is the Labour party which is currently in power. The country is a constitutional monarchy and although Barbados was granted independence in November 1966, the British monarch is still considered the monarch of Barbados.

Barbados is 34 kilometres long and 23 kilometres wide. The island is low lying with the highest point being Mount Hillaby, 1340 feet above sea level. It is mainly coral, which on the east side falls in a series of terraces and on the west in an incline. Much of the country is surrounded by coral reef. Sugar cane is planted on almost 80% of the landscape and the soil fertility varies and the land is prone to erosion and landslips. There are only a few rivers because the land is porous and the water runs into underground lakes.

The island is one of the most densely populated in the world yet the birth rate is one of the lowest and migration has slowed greatly. In 1997 the population was 619 people per square kilometre and 80% of the population is of African descent. There is a white minority of about 4% and the rest of the population are of mixed descent.

Barbados is famous for sugar, rum and molasses, cricketers such as Sir Garfield Sobers as well as the flora and fauna of the island and its wonderful climate.

There is an expat community in Barbados although figures on how many have made their home there are not available, but accounts of expat life in the country show that they have a good standard of living and enjoy the way of life there. Obtaining getting work permits is not as easy as in other countries and the cost of living is relatively high.

Although Barbados receives some overseas aid from British and United States sources, it is a member of the Caribbean Economic Community and has declared that its goal is to become the world’s smallest developed nation.