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Coordinates: 13°10′12″N 59°33′09″W

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This article is about the easternmost country in the Caribbean. Not to be confused with Barbatos or
Barbuda. For other uses, see Barbados (disambiguation).

Barbados

Flag of Barbados

Flag

Coat of arms of Barbados

Coat of arms
Motto: "Pride and Industry"

Anthem: "In Plenty and In Time of Need"

Duration: 1 minute and 19 seconds.1:19

Location of Barbados

Capital

and largest city

Bridgetown

13°05′52″N 59°37′06″W

Official languages English

Vernacular language Bajan Creole

Ethnic groups (2020[1])

92.4% Black

3.1% multiracial

2.7% White

1.3% Indian

0.3% others

Religion (2020)

75.6% Christianity

20.6% no religion

2.0% Baháʼí Faith

1.1% Hinduism

0.7% others[1]

Demonym(s)

BarbadianBajan (colloquial)

Government Unitary parliamentary republic

Sandra Mason

• Prime Minister

Mia Mottley

Legislature Parliament

• Upper house

Senate

• Lower house

House of Assembly

Independence from the United Kingdom

• Part of the West Indies Federation

3 January 1958 – 31 May 1962

• Sovereignty

30 November 1966

• Admitted to the UN

7 December 1966

• Joined CARICOM at the Treaty of Chaguaramas

1 August 1973

• Republic established

30 November 2021

Area

• Total

439 km2 (169 sq mi) (183rd)

• Water (%)

Negligible
Population

• 2023 estimate

281,998[2] (174th)

• 2021 census

269,090[3] (174th)

• Density

660/km2 (1,709.4/sq mi) (17th)

GDP (PPP) 2023 estimate

• Total

Increase $5.436 billion[4] (175th)

• Per capita

Increase $18,738[4] (90th)

GDP (nominal) 2023 estimate

• Total

Increase $6.220 billion[4] (165th)

• Per capita

Increase $21,442[4] (50th)

HDI (2022) Increase 0.809[5]

very high (62nd)

Currency Barbadian dollar ($) (BBD)

Time zone UTC−04:00 (AST)

Calling code +1 -246

ISO 3166 code BB

Internet TLD .bb

Barbados[a] is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles region of the West
Indies. Despite not bordering the Caribbean Sea, it is considered to be part of the Caribbean region and
is therefore the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. It lies on the boundary of the South American
and Caribbean plates. Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown. It was colonized by the British and forms
part of the Commonwealth.

Inhabited by Kalinago people since the 13th century, and prior to that by other Indigenous peoples,
Barbados was claimed for the Crown of Castile by Spanish navigators in the late 15th century. It first
appeared on a Spanish map in 1511.[7] The Portuguese Empire claimed the island between 1532 and
1536, but abandoned it in 1620 with their only remnants being the introduction of wild boars to supply
of meat whenever the island was visited. An English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados on 14
May 1625; its men took possession of the island in the name of King James I. In 1627, the first
permanent settlers arrived from England, and Barbados became an English and later British colony.[8]
During this period, the colony operated on a plantation economy, relying on the labour of African slaves
who worked on the island's plantations. Slavery continued until it was phased out through most of the
British Empire by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

On 30 November 1966, Barbados moved toward political independence and assumed the status of a
Commonwealth realm, becoming a separate jurisdiction with Elizabeth II as the Queen of Barbados. On
30 November 2021, Barbados transitioned to a republic within the Commonwealth, replacing its
monarchy with a ceremonial president.[9][10]

Barbados's population is predominantly of African ancestry. While it is technically an Atlantic island,

Etymology

The name "Barbados" is from either the Portuguese term os barbados or the Spanish equivalent, los
barbados, both meaning "the bearded ones".[12][13] It is unclear whether "bearded" refers to the long,
hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), a species of banyan indigenous to the island, or to
the allegedly bearded Kalinago (Island Caribs) who once inhabited the island, or, more fancifully, to a
visual impression of a beard formed by the sea foam that sprays over the outlying coral reefs. In 1519, a
map produced by the Genoese mapmaker Visconte Maggiolo showed and named Barbados in its correct
position.[citation needed] Furthermore, the island of Barbuda in the Leewards is very similar in name
and was once named "Las Barbudas" by the Spanish.[citation needed]
The original name for Barbados in the Pre-Columbian era was Ichirouganaim, according to accounts by
descendants of the Indigenous Arawakan-speaking tribes in other regional areas, with possible
translations including "Red land with white teeth"[14] or "Redstone island with teeth outside (reefs)"[15]
or simply "Teeth".[16][17][18]

Colloquially, Barbadians refer to their home island as "Bim" or other nicknames associated with
Barbados, including "Bimshire". The origin is uncertain, but several theories exist. The National Cultural
Foundation of Barbados says that "Bim" was a word commonly used by slaves, and that it derives from
the Igbo term bém from bé mụ́ meaning "my home, kindred, kind";[19] the Igbo phoneme [e] in the Igbo
orthography is very close to /ɪ/.[20] The name could have arisen due to the relatively large percentage of
Igbo slaves from modern-day southeastern Nigeria arriving in Barbados in the 18th century.[21][22] The
words "Bim" and "Bimshire" are recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and Chambers Twentieth
Century Dictionaries. Another possible source for "Bim" is reported to be in the Agricultural Reporter of
25 April 1868, where the Rev. N. Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, Abel
Hendy Jones Greenidge) suggested that Bimshire was "introduced by an old planter listing it as a county
of England". Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Bimshire".[19] Lastly, in the
Daily Argosy (of Demerara, i.e. Guyana) of 1652, there is a reference to Bim as a possible corruption of
"Byam", the name of a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers
of Byam became known as "Bims" and that this became a word for all Barbadians.[19]

History

Main article: History of Barbados

Geological history

Around 700,000 years ago, the island emerged from the ocean as a body of soft rock known as a diapir
rose from the mantle beneath its present-day location. This process is still ongoing, raising Barbados at
an average rate of 30 centimetres per thousand years.[23] Dozens of inland sea reefs still dominate
coastal features within terraces and cliffs on the island.[23]

Pre-colonial period

Archeological evidence suggests humans may have first settled or visited the island c. 1600 BC.[24][25]
[26] More permanent Amerindian settlement of Barbados dates to about the 4th to 7th centuries AD, by
a group known as the Saladoid-Barrancoid.[27] Settlements of Arawaks from South America appeared by
around 800 AD and again in the 12th–13th century.[24] The Kalinago (called "Caribs" by the Spanish)
visited the island regularly, although there is no evidence of permanent settlement.[28]
European arrival

Spanish map of the island (1632)

It is uncertain which European nation arrived first in Barbados, which probably would have been at some
point in the 15th century or 16th century. One lesser-known source points to earlier revealed works
antedating contemporary sources, indicating it could have been the Spanish.[7] Many, if not most,
believe the Portuguese, en route to Brazil,[29][30] were the first Europeans to come upon the island. The
island was largely ignored by Europeans, though Spanish slave raiding is thought to have reduced the
native population, with many fleeing to other islands.[24][31]

English settlement in the 17th century

George Washington House was visited by George Washington in 1751, in what is believed to have been
his only trip outside the present-day United States.[32]

The first English ship, which had arrived on 14 May 1625, was captained by John Powell. The first
settlement began on 17 February 1627, near what is now Holetown (formerly Jamestown, after King
James I of England),[33] by a group led by John Powell's younger brother, Henry, consisting of 80 settlers
and 10 English indentured labourers.[34] Some sources state that some Africans were among these first
settlers.[24]

The settlement was established as a proprietary colony and funded by Sir William Courten, a City of
London merchant who acquired the title to Barbados and several other islands. The first colonists were
actually tenants, and much of the profits of their labour returned to Courten and his company.[35]
Courten's title was later transferred to James Hay, 1st Earl of Carlisle, in what was called the "Great
Barbados Robbery".[citation needed] Carlisle then chose as governor Henry Powell, who established the
House of Assembly in 1639, in an effort to appease the planters, who might otherwise have opposed his
controversial appointment.[24][36]

In the period 1640–1660, the West Indies attracted more than two-thirds of the total number of English
emigrants to the Americas. By 1650, there were 44,000 settlers in the West Indies, as compared to
12,000 on the Chesapeake and 23,000 in New England. Most English arrivals were indentured. After five
years of labour, they were given "freedom dues" of about £10, usually in goods. Before the mid-1630s,
they also received 5 to 10 acres (2 to 4 hectares) of land, but after that time the island filled and there
was no more free land. During the Cromwellian era (1650s) this included a large number of prisoners-of-
war, vagrants and people who were illicitly kidnapped, who were forcibly transported to the island and
sold as servants. These last two groups were predominantly Irish, as several thousand were infamously
rounded up by English merchants and sold into servitude in Barbados and other Caribbean islands during
this period, a practice that came to be known as being Barbadosed.[36][37] Cultivation of sugar was thus
handled primarily by European indentured labour until it became difficult to bring more indentured
servants from England.[38]

Parish registers from the 1650s show that, for the white population, there were four times as many
deaths as marriages. The mainstay of the infant colony's economy was the growth export of tobacco, but
tobacco prices eventually fell in the 1630s as Chesapeake production expanded.[36]

Effects of the English Civil War

Main articles: English overseas possessions in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Restoration in the
English colonies

Around the same time, fighting during the War of the Three Kingdoms and the Interregnum spilled over
into Barbados and Barbadian territorial waters. The island was not involved in the war until after the
execution of Charles I, when the island's government fell under the control of Royalists (ironically the
Governor, Philip Bell, remaining loyal to Parliament while the Barbadian House of Assembly, under the
influence of Humphrey Walrond, supported Charles II). To try to bring the recalcitrant colony to heel, the
Commonwealth Parliament passed an act on 3 October 1650 prohibiting trade between England and
Barbados, and because the island also traded with the Netherlands, further Navigation Acts were
passed, prohibiting any but English vessels trading with Dutch colonies. These acts were a precursor to
the First Anglo-Dutch War. The Commonwealth of England sent an invasion force under the command of
Sir George Ayscue, which arrived in October 1651. Ayscue, with a smaller force that included Scottish
prisoners, surprised a larger force of Royalists, but had to resort to spying and diplomacy ultimately. On
11 January 1652, the Royalists in the House of Assembly led by Lord Willoughby surrendered, which
marked the end of royalist privateering as a major threat.[39] The conditions of the surrender were
incorporated into the Charter of Barbados (Treaty of Oistins), which was signed at the Mermaid's Inn,
Oistins, on 17 January 1652.[40]

Irish people in Barbados

Main article: Irish people in Barbados

Starting with Cromwell, a large percentage of the white labourer population were indentured servants
and involuntarily transported people from Ireland. Irish servants in Barbados were often treated poorly,
and Barbadian planters gained a reputation for cruelty.[41]: 55 The decreased appeal of an indenture on
Barbados, combined with enormous demand for labour caused by sugar cultivation, led to the use of
involuntary transportation to Barbados as a punishment for crimes, or for political prisoners, and also to
the kidnapping of labourers who were deported to Barbados.[41]: 55 Irish indentured servants were a
significant portion of the population throughout the period when white servants were used for
plantation labour in Barbados, and while a "steady stream" of Irish servants entered the Barbados
throughout the 17th century, Cromwellian efforts to pacify Ireland created a "veritable tidal wave" of
Irish labourers who were sent to Barbados during the 1650s.[41]: 56 Due to inadequate historical
records, the total number of Irish labourers sent to Barbados is unknown, and estimates have been
"highly contentious".[41]: 56 While one historical source estimated that as many as 50,000 Irish people
were deported to either Barbados or Virginia during the 1650s, this estimate is "quite likely
exaggerated".[41]: 56 Another estimate that 12,000 Irish prisoners had arrived in Barbados by 1655 has
been described as "probably exaggerated" by historian Richard B. Sheridan.[42]: 236 According to
historian Thomas Bartlett, it is "generally accepted" that approximately 10,000 Irish were deported to
the West Indies and approximately 40,000 came as voluntary indentured servants, while many also
travelled as voluntary, un-indentured emigrants.[43]: 256

The sugar revolution

The introduction of sugar cane from Dutch Brazil in 1640 completely transformed society, the economy
and the physical landscape. Barbados eventually had one of the world's biggest sugar industries.[44] One
group instrumental in ensuring the early success of the industry was the Sephardic Jews, who had
originally been expelled from the Iberian peninsula, to end up in Dutch Brazil.[44] As the effects of the
new crop increased, so did the shift in the ethnic composition of Barbados and surrounding islands.[36]
The workable sugar plantation required a large investment and a great deal of heavy labour. At first,
Dutch traders supplied the equipment, financing, and African slaves, in addition to transporting most of
the sugar to Europe.[36][24] In 1644 the population of Barbados was estimated at 30,000, of which
about 800 were of African ancestry, with the remainder mainly of English ancestry. These English
smallholders were eventually bought out and the island filled up with large sugar plantations worked by
African slaves.[24] By 1660 there was near parity with 27,000 Black people and 26,000 White people. By
1666 at least 12,000 white smallholders had been bought out, died, or left the island, many choosing to
emigrate to Jamaica or the American Colonies (notably the Carolinas).[24] As a result, Barbados enacted
a slave code as a way of legislatively controlling its enslaved Black population.[45] The law's text was
influential in laws in other colonies.[46]

By 1680 there were 20,000 free whites and 46,000 enslaved Africans;[24] by 1724, there were 18,000
free whites and 55,000 enslaved Africans.[36]
18th and 19th centuries

Statue of Bussa, Bridgetown. Bussa led the largest slave rebellion in Barbadian history.

The harsh conditions endured by the slaves resulted in several planned slave rebellions, the largest of
which was Bussa's rebellion in 1816 which was rapidly suppressed by the colonial authorities.[24] In
1819, another slave revolt broke out on Easter Day. The revolt was put down in blood, with heads being
displayed on stakes. Nevertheless, the brutality of the repression shocked even England and
strengthened the abolitionist movement.[47] Growing opposition to slavery led to its abolition in the
British Empire in 1833.[24] The plantocracy class retained control of political and economic power on the
island, with most workers living in relative poverty.[24]

The 1780 hurricane killed more than 4,000 people on Barbados.[48][49] In 1854, a cholera epidemic
killed more than 20,000 inhabitants.[50]

20th century before independence

Deep dissatisfaction with the situation on Barbados led many to emigrate.[24][51] Things came to a head
in the 1930s during the Great Depression, as Barbadians began demanding better conditions for workers,
the legalisation of trade unions and a widening of the franchise, which at that point was limited to male
property owners.[24] As a result of the increasing unrest the British sent a commission, called the West
Indies Royal Commission, or Moyne Commission, in 1938, which recommended enacting many of the
requested reforms on the islands.[24] As a result, Afro-Barbadians began to play a much more prominent
role in the colony's politics, with universal suffrage being introduced in 1950.[24]

Prominent among these early activists was Grantley Herbert Adams, who helped found the Barbados
Labour Party (BLP) in 1938.[52] He became the first Premier of Barbados in 1953, followed by fellow BLP-
founder Hugh Gordon Cummins from 1958 to 1961. A group of left-leaning politicians who advocated
swifter moves to independence broke off from the BLP and founded the Democratic Labour Party (DLP)
in 1955.[53][54] The DLP subsequently won the 1961 Barbadian general election and their leader Errol
Barrow became premier.[citation needed]

Full internal self-government was enacted in 1961.[24] Barbados joined the short-lived British West
Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962, later gaining full independence on 30 November 1966.[24] Errol
Barrow became the country's first prime minister. Barbados opted to remain within the Commonwealth
of Nations.
The effect of political independence meant that the United Kingdom government ceased to having
sovereignty over Barbados, Elizabeth II, instead, reigning in the country became the Queen of Barbados.
The monarch then was represented locally by a governor-general.[55]

Post-independence era

The Barrow government sought to diversify the economy away from agriculture, seeking to boost
industry and the tourism sector. Barbados was also at the forefront of regional integration efforts,
spearheading the creation of CARIFTA and CARICOM.[24] The DLP lost the 1976 Barbadian general
election to the BLP under Tom Adams. Adams adopted a more conservative and strongly pro-Western
stance, allowing the Americans to use Barbados as the launchpad for their invasion of Grenada in 1983.
[56] Adams died in office in 1985 and was replaced by Harold Bernard St. John; however, St. John lost the
1986 Barbadian general election, which saw the return of the DLP under Errol Barrow, who had been
highly critical of the US intervention in Grenada. Barrow, too, died in office, and was replaced by Lloyd
Erskine Sandiford, who remained Prime Minister until 1994.[citation needed]

Owen Arthur of the BLP won the 1994 Barbadian general election, remaining prime minister until 2008.
[57] Arthur was a strong advocate of republicanism, though a planned referendum to replace Queen
Elizabeth as Head of State in 2008 never took place.[58] The DLP won the 2008 Barbadian general
election, but the new Prime Minister David Thompson died in 2010 and was replaced by Freundel Stuart.
The BLP returned to power in 2018 under Mia Mottley, who became Barbados's first female prime
minister.[59]

Transition to republic

Main article: Republicanism in Barbados

The Government of Barbados announced on 15 September 2020 that it intended to become a republic
by 30 November 2021, the 55th anniversary of its independence, resulting in the replacement of the
Barbadian monarchy with a president elected through electoral college.[60][61] Barbados would then
cease to be a Commonwealth realm, but could maintain membership in the Commonwealth of Nations,
like Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.[62][63][64][65]

On 20 September 2021, just over a full year after the announcement for the transition was made, the
Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 was introduced to the Parliament of Barbados. Passed on 6
October, the Bill made amendments to the Constitution of Barbados, introducing the office of the
president of Barbados to replace the role of Elizabeth II as Queen of Barbados.[66] The following week,
on 12 October 2021, incumbent Governor-General of Barbados Sandra Mason was jointly nominated by
the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition as candidate to be the first president of Barbados,[67]
and was subsequently elected on 20 October.[68] Mason took office on 30 November 2021.[69] Prince
Charles, the heir apparent to the Barbadian Crown at the time, attended the swearing-in ceremony in
Bridgetown at the invitation of the Government of Barbados.[70]

Queen Elizabeth sent a message of congratulations to President Mason and the people of Barbados,
saying: "As you celebrate this momentous day, I send you and all Barbadians my warmest good wishes
for your happiness, peace and prosperity in the future."[71]

A survey that was conducted between 23 October 2021 and 10 November 2021, by the University of the
West Indies showed 34% of respondents being in favour of transitioning to a republic, while 30% were
indifferent. Notably, no overall majority was found in the survey; with 24% not indicating a preference
and the remaining 12% being opposed to the removal of Queen Elizabeth.[72][73]

On 20 June 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in by Jeffrey Gibson (who
at the time was serving temporarily as Acting President of Barbados) to review the Constitution of
Barbados.[74]

The commission was given a 15-month timeline to complete its work, which included consulting the
public about the new republic and drafting a constitution.[75] Thus, the CRC engaged the public in a
number of public meetings, lectures, and Twitter Spaces.[76] The report was announced delayed by
August 2023,[77] with the final report submitted 30 June 2024.[78]

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Barbados

Map of Barbados

Barbados is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies Islands. Barbados is the
easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles. It is 21 miles (34 kilometres) long and up to 23 km (14 mi) wide,
covering an area of 439 km2 (169 sq mi).[79] It lies about 168 km (104 mi) east of both the countries of
Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 180 km (110 mi) south-east of Martinique and 400 km
(250 mi) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west,
the Windward Islands. The island rises gently to the central highland region known as Scotland District,
with the highest point being Mount Hillaby 340 m (1,120 ft) above sea level.[24]

In Barbados forest cover is around 15% of the total land area, equivalent to 6,300 hectares (ha) of forest
in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 6,300 hectares
(ha) and planted forest covered 0 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to
be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity)
and around 5% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 1% of the forest
area was reported to be under public ownership, 0% private ownership and 99% with ownership listed as
other or unknown.[80][81]

In the parish of Saint Michael lies Barbados's capital and main city, Bridgetown, containing one third of
the country's population.[24] Other major towns scattered across the island include Holetown, in the
parish of Saint James; Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church; and Speightstown, in the parish of Saint
Peter.[citation needed]

Geology

Barbados lies on the boundary of the South American and the Caribbean Plates.[82] The subduction of
the South American Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate scrapes sediment from the South American Plate
and deposits it above the subduction zone forming an accretionary prism. The rate of this depositing of
material allows Barbados to rise at a rate of about 25 mm (1 in) per 1,000 years.[83] This subduction
means geologically the island is composed of coral roughly 90 m (300 ft) thick, where reefs formed above
the sediment. The land slopes in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. A
large proportion of the island is circled by coral reefs.[24]

The erosion of limestone in the northeast of the island, in the Scotland District, has resulted in the
formation of various caves and gullies. On the Atlantic east coast of the island coastal landforms,
including stacks, have been created due to the limestone composition of the area. Also notable in the
island is the rocky cape known as Pico Teneriffe[84] or Pico de Tenerife, which is named after the fact
that the island of Tenerife in Spain is the first land east of Barbados according to the belief of the locals.
[citation needed]

Climate
Bathsheba, Saint Joseph

The country generally experiences two seasons, one of which includes noticeably higher rainfall. Known
as the "wet season", this period runs from June to December. By contrast, the "dry season" runs from
December to May. Annual precipitation ranges between 1,000 and 2,300 mm (40 and 90 in). From
December to May the average temperatures range from 21 to 31 °C (70 to 88 °F), while between June
and November, they range from 23 to 31 °C (73 to 88 °F).[85]

On the Köppen climate classification scale, much of Barbados is regarded as a tropical monsoon climate
(Am). However, breezes of 12 to 16 km/h (7 to 10 mph) abound throughout the year and give Barbados a
climate which is moderately tropical.[citation needed]

Infrequent natural hazards include earthquakes, landslips, and hurricanes. Barbados lies outside the
Main Development Region for tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic, and is often spared the worst
effects of the region's storms during the rainy season. On average, a major hurricane makes landfall in
Barbados about once every 26 years. The last significant hit from a hurricane to cause severe damage to
Barbados was Hurricane Janet in 1955; in 2010 the island was struck by Hurricane Tomas, but this caused
only minor damage across the country as it was only at Tropical Storm strength at the time of impact.
[86]

Environmental issues

Barbados, seen from the International Space Station

Barbados is the twentieth most water stressed country in the world.

Barbados is susceptible to environmental pressures. As one of the world's most densely populated isles,
the government worked during the 1990s[87] to aggressively integrate the growing south coast of the
island into the Bridgetown Sewage Treatment Plant to reduce contamination of offshore coral reefs.[88]
[89] As of the first decade of the 21st century, a second treatment plant has been proposed along the
island's west coast. Being so densely populated, Barbados has made great efforts to protect its
underground aquifers.[90]
As a coral-limestone island, Barbados is highly permeable to seepage of surface water into the earth. The
government has placed great emphasis on protecting the catchment areas that lead directly into the
huge network of underground aquifers and streams.[90] On occasion illegal squatters have breached
these areas, and the government has removed squatters to preserve the cleanliness of the underground
springs which provide the island's drinking water.[91]

The government has placed a huge emphasis on keeping Barbados clean with the aim of protecting the
environment and preserving offshore coral reefs which surround the island.[92] Many initiatives to
mitigate human pressures on the coastal regions of Barbados and seas come from the Coastal Zone
Management Unit (CZMU).[93][94] Barbados has nearly 56 miles (90 kilometres) of coral reefs just
offshore and two protected marine parks have been established off the west coast.[95] Overfishing is
another threat which faces Barbados.[96]

Although on the opposite side of the Atlantic, and some 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometres) west of Africa,
Barbados is one of many places in the American continent that experience heightened levels of mineral
dust from the Sahara Desert.[97] Some particularly intense dust episodes have been blamed partly for
the impacts on the health of coral reefs[98] surrounding Barbados or asthmatic episodes,[99] but
evidence has not wholly supported the former claim.[100]

Access to biocapacity in Barbados is much lower than world average. In 2016, Barbados had 0.17 global
hectares[101] of biocapacity per person within its territory, much less than the world average of 1.6
global hectares per person.[102] In 2016 Barbados used 0.84 global hectares of biocapacity per person -
their ecological footprint of consumption. This means they use approximately five times as much
biocapacity as Barbados contains. As a result, Barbados is running a biocapacity deficit.[101]

Wildlife

Main article: Fauna of Barbados

Barbados is host to four species of nesting turtles (green turtles, loggerheads, hawksbill turtles, and
leatherbacks) and has the second-largest hawksbill turtle-breeding population in the Caribbean.[103]
The driving of vehicles on beaches can crush nests buried in the sand and such activity is discouraged in
nesting areas.[104]

Barbados is also the host to the green monkey. The green monkey is found in West Africa from Senegal
to the Volta River. It has been introduced to the Cape Verde islands off north-western Africa, and the
West Indian islands of Saint Kitts, Nevis, Saint Martin, and Barbados. It was introduced to the West Indies
in the late 17th century when slave trade ships travelled to the Caribbean from West Africa. The green
monkey is considered a very curious and mischievous/troublesome animal by locals.[105][106]

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of Barbados and Barbadians

A bus stop in Barbados

The 2010 national census conducted by the Barbados Statistical Service reported a resident population
of 277,821, of which 144,803 were female and 133,018 were male.[107]

The life expectancy for Barbados residents as of 2020 is 80 years. The average life expectancy is 83 years
for females and 79 years for males (2020).[1] Barbados and Japan have the highest per capita
occurrences of centenarians in the world.[108]

The crude birth rate is 12.23 births per 1,000 people, and the crude death rate is 8.39 deaths per 1,000
people. The infant mortality rate was 11.057 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, according to
UNICEF.[109][110]

Ethnicity

People shopping in the capital Bridgetown

Close to 90% of all Barbadians (also known colloquially as "Bajan") are of Afro-Caribbean ancestry ("Afro-
Bajans") and mixed ancestry. The remainder of the population includes groups of Europeans ("Anglo-
Bajans" / "Euro-Bajans") mainly from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Ireland, Germany, and Italy.[citation
needed] Other European groups consisted of the French, Austrians, Spaniards, and Russians. Asians,
predominantly from Hong Kong and India (both Hindu and Muslim) make up less than 1% of the
population. Other groups in Barbados include people from the United States and Canada. Barbadians
who return after years of residence in the United States and children born in America to Bajan parents
are called "Bajan Yankees", a term considered derogatory by some.[111] Generally, Bajans recognise and
accept all "children of the island" as Bajans, and refer to each other as such.[citation needed]
The biggest communities outside the Afro-Caribbean community are:

The Indo-Guyanese, an important part of the economy due to the increase of immigrants from partner
country[clarification needed] Guyana. There are reports of a growing Indo-Bajans diaspora originating
from Guyana and India starting around 1990. Predominantly from southern India, they are growing in
size but are smaller than the equivalent communities in Trinidad and Guyana.[112][24] The Muslim
Barbadians of Indian origin are largely of Gujarati ancestry. Many small businesses in Barbados are run
and operated by Muslim-Indian Bajans.[113][114]

Euro-Bajans (5% of the population)[1] have settled in Barbados since the 17th century, originating from
England, Ireland, Portugal, and Scotland. In 1643, there were 37,200 whites in Barbados (86% of the
population).[115] More commonly they are known as "White Bajans". Euro-Bajans introduced folk
music, such as Irish music and Highland music, and certain place names, such as "Scotland District", a
hilly region in the parish of St. Andrew. Among White Barbadians there exists an underclass known as
Redlegs comprising followers of the Duke of Monmouth after his defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor, as
well as the descendants of Irish indentured labourers and prisoners imported to the island.[116] Many
additionally moved on to become the earliest settlers of modern-day North and South Carolina in the
United States. Today the Redlegs number only around 400.[117]

Chinese-Barbadians are a small portion of Barbados's wider Asian population.[24] Chinese food and
culture is becoming part of everyday Bajan culture.[citation needed]

Lebanese and Syrians form the island's Arab Barbadian community.[24]

Jews arrived in Barbados just after the first settlers in 1627. Bridgetown is the home of Nidhe Israel
Synagogue, one of the oldest Jewish synagogues in the Americas, dating from 1654, though the current
structure was erected in 1833, replacing one ruined by the hurricane of 1831.[118] Tombstones in the
neighbouring cemetery date from the 1630s. Now under the care of the Barbados National Trust,[119]
the site was deserted in 1929 but was saved and restored by the Jewish community beginning in 1986.
[citation needed]

In the 17th century, Romani people were sent from the United Kingdom to work as slaves in the
plantations in Barbados.[120]

Languages

English is the official language of Barbados, and is used for communications, administration, and public
services all over the island. In its capacity as the official language of the country, the standard of English
tends to conform to vocabulary, pronunciations, spellings, and conventions akin to, but not exactly the
same as, those of British English. For most people, however, Bajan Creole is the language of everyday
life. It does not have a standardised written form, but it is used by over 90% of the population.[citation
needed]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Barbados

Cathedral Church of Saint Michael and All Angels, Bridgetown

Christianity is the largest religion in Barbados, with the largest denomination being Anglican (23.9% of
the population in 2019).[121] Other Christian denominations with significant follow