 Barbados
is the easternmost land in the Caribbean, characterized by
pleasantly rolling countryside with fields of sugar cane and colorful
villages. It is surrounded by coral reefs, has plenty of
beautiful white sandy beaches.Barbados was discovered in 1536 by the Portuguese, and colonized 90
years later by the British. After being a British colony
for over 300
years it became an independent member of the Commonwealth in 1966.
Driving on the island is therefore on the left side!Barbados is 21 miles long and 14
miles wide, lying to the east of the main chain of Leeward and Windward
Islands. Most of the island is coral limestone, over 500,000 years old.
The Island's temperature ranges from the mid-70's F (low to mid 20'sC)
in the winter to the mid 80'sF (high 20'sC) in summer. Brief rain
showers are not uncommon in the Caribbean throughout the year. But don't
worry - Barbados averages more than 3,600 hours of sunshine each year!!
Barbados has plenty of beautiful white sandy beaches. The best beaches
can be found along the Caribbean (southwestern) coast. Here you can find
long stretches of white sand and calm waters. However, this is also the
area where most of the beach resorts are located. All beaches are
'public' although sometimes you have to cross the property of the
hotels. A large part of the north, southeast, and east coasts have steep
limestone cliffs, but in between those small private sandy coves with
palmtrees can be found. Careful with swimming though ! : currents and
undertow can be strong on the east side of the island. Quiet sand
beaches can also be found on the northwestern coast, like e.g. Horseshoe
Bay, Cluff's Bay or Archers's Bay, these are only accessible by
secondary paved/unpaved roads. Crane Bay on the southeast is probably
one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, but the waves can be
quite rough at times.
 Arawak Indians from South America are known to have inhabited the island
of Barbados, but in 1625 a British expedition found no one living there.
John Powell, a British captain, returned to Barbados in 1627 with 80
settlers and the island was officially colonized. They named their
settlement Jamestown, which later became known as Holetown.
Barbados flourished with the production of tobacco, cotton, and by 1640,
sugarcane. The island was home to many Europeans, and, of course, many
slaves to work the plantations. Per square mile, Barbados is now the
most densely populated island in the West Indies due to the vast amount
of slaves brought in before slavery was abolished in 1834.
Lying upwind from the main island arc, Barbados was very hard to attack
from the sea, so it never changed hands during the colonial wars of the
17th and 18th centuries. The influence of the French, Spanish or Dutch
is practically nonexistent.
 The
18th and 19th centuries saw Barbados' population grow even more, with
many English families settling
there. The British sought out the climate and slow pace of life on
Barbados as a cure for "the vapors."
After the abolishment of slavery in 1834, a new middle class rose out of
ambitious slaves who carved out new lives for themselves. One of those
men, Samuel Jackman Prescod, in 1843 became the first non-white member
of the House of Assembly. Although suffrage was extended and there were
strides made in education for all Barbadians, inequalities still ran
deep.
Events were compounded with the world depression of the 1930s and a
surge in unemployment. In 1937 a series of riots broke out. The upside
of this was that it mobilized a new group of educated, black leaders to
push for equality for all Barbadians. Two men, Grantley Adams and Hugh
Springer, founded the Barbados Progressive League, which later became
the Barbados Labour Party. The B.L.P. won the general election of 1947
and just three years later, the right to vote was granted to all
citizens.
The Democratic Labour Party was born when members of the B.L.P. branched
off to form their own party. And in 1989, a third party, the National
Democratic Party, was formed.
The most obvious outside influences on the Barbadian way of life come
from North America. Most contemporary Barbadians stress their
Afro-Caribbean heritage and aspects of the culture which are
distinctively 'Bajan'.
The capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, founded 1628, is full of history.
Except for the central bank there are no really large buildings. Don't
miss Careenage, the picturesque old harbor or Queens Park, the former
residence of the British Troops of the West Indies, which is now a
public park with flowering gardens. Also worth a visit is the Barbados
Museum featuring the natural history of Barbados and the Caribbean.
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