Barbados
Name
| Official name | Barbados — no longer form |
|---|---|
| Demonym | Barbadian — Bajan colloquially |
| Meaning of the name | Portuguese Os Barbados, "the bearded ones" — most likely for the bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia) and its hanging roots; the tree is on the coat of arms |
| Also called | Bimshire, or Little England, in older usage |
Quick facts
| Capital | Bridgetown, on Carlisle Bay — the only city; founded 1628 as Indian Bridge, named for the bridge over the Constitution River |
|---|---|
| Official language | English; Bajan, the English-based creole, in everyday speech |
| Currency | Barbadian dollar — ISO code BBD, Bds$; fixed at Bds$2 to US$1 since 1975; issued by the Central Bank of Barbados |
| Time zone | Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, all year — no daylight saving |
| Calling code | +1 246 |
| Internet domain | .bb |
| ISO 3166 codes | BB · BRB · 052 |
| Vehicle registration code | BDS |
| Driving side | Left |
| Electricity | 115 V, 50 Hz; plug types A and B |
| Independence | 30 November 1966, from the United Kingdom |
| Republic | 30 November 2021 — the Queen replaced by a president on the 55th anniversary of independence |
| National days | 30 November, Independence Day; 28 April, National Heroes Day; 21 January, Errol Barrow Day; 1 August, Emancipation Day |
| Constitution | The Constitution of 1966, amended in 2021 for the republic; a new constitution in preparation |
| Population | About 282,000 (World Bank); about 304,000 by the CIA World Factbook's estimate; the 2021 census counted 269,000 |
| Area | 430 km² (166 sq mi) — 34 km (21 mi) long, 23 km (14 mi) wide; about two and a half times the size of Washington, D.C. |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | Vertical bands of ultramarine, gold and ultramarine with a black broken trident on the gold — Grantley Prescod's design, chosen from 1,029 entries and raised at midnight on 30 November 1966; unchanged at the republic of 2021.Flag of Barbados |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms | A shield with the bearded fig tree and two Pride of Barbados flowers, supported by a dolphin (the mahi-mahi) and a pelican, a broken trident held above — granted 21 December 1966 |
| National anthem | "In Plenty and In Time of Need" — words by Irving Burgie, music by C. Van Roland Edwards; adopted 1966 |
| National motto | "Pride and Industry" |
| National colors | Ultramarine and gold |
| National flower | The Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), the dwarf poinciana — designated |
| National tree | The bearded fig tree, the island's namesake — on the arms; widely cited |
| National bird | The pelican, the supporter of the arms — widely cited, not designated |
| National fish | The flying fish — the emblem of the island, in the sea and on the plate; widely cited |
| National dish | Cou-cou and flying fish — cornmeal and okra with steamed fish; widely cited |
| National heroes | Eleven, from Bussa and Sarah Ann Gill to Errol Barrow, Grantley Adams, Sir Garfield Sobers and, since 2021, Rihanna |
| Symbol status | The flag, arms, anthem and motto date from independence; the flower is designated; tree, bird, fish and dish are widely cited |
Geography
| Location | The easternmost island of the Lesser Antilles, in the Atlantic about 160 km (100 mi) east of the Windward Islands — outside the Caribbean Sea proper |
|---|---|
| Coastline | 97 km (60 mi) |
| Land borders | None — an island state |
| Highest point | Mount Hillaby, 336 m (1,102 ft), in St. Andrew parish |
| Lowest point | The Atlantic Ocean, 0 m |
| Terrain | A coral limestone cap on sedimentary rock — terraced lowlands rising gently to the central highlands; the Scotland District of eroded older rock in the northeast |
| Rivers | The Constitution River at Bridgetown; otherwise the water runs underground through the porous coral |
| Caves | Harrison's Cave — a crystallized limestone cavern with underground streams, the island's natural showpiece |
| Coasts | The calm Caribbean-facing west coast — the Platinum Coast — and the Atlantic east coast of Bathsheba and its surf |
| Climate | Tropical, tempered by the trade winds; a rainy season from June to October; at the eastern edge of the hurricane belt |
| Natural hazards | Hurricanes, though fewer than islands to the west; Hurricane Elsa in 2021; the ash of La Soufrière from St. Vincent in 2021 |
| Natural resources | Petroleum and natural gas in small quantities; fish |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 33%; forest about 15% |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 1 — Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison (2011) |
| Administrative divisions | 11 parishes — Christ Church, St. Andrew, St. George, St. James, St. John, St. Joseph, St. Lucy, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Philip, St. Thomas — and the city of Bridgetown |
People
| Population | About 282,000 (World Bank); about 304,000 (CIA World Factbook) |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 660 per km² (1,700 per sq mi) — among the densest in the Americas |
| Population growth | Near zero |
| Median age | About 40 years |
| Life expectancy | About 78 years |
| Fertility rate | About 1.6 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 31% |
| Adult literacy | About 99.6% |
| Ethnic groups | African descent about 93%, mixed about 3%, white about 3%, East Indian and other (2010 census) |
| Languages | English; Bajan Creole |
| Religion | Christian about 75% — Anglican the largest, then Pentecostal, Adventist, Methodist and Roman Catholic; no religion about 21% (2010 census) |
| Largest towns | Bridgetown; Speightstown; Oistins; Holetown, the first settlement of 1627 |
| Human Development Index | 0.811 (2023 data, 2025 report) — very high human development |
| Diaspora | Large communities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada |
Government
| Form of government | Parliamentary republic under the Constitution of 1966 as amended in 2021; a member of the Commonwealth |
|---|---|
| President | Jeffrey Bostic, since 30 November 2025 — elected unopposed by Parliament on 7 October 2025, succeeding Dame Sandra Mason, the first president (2021–2025) |
| Prime Minister | Mia Mottley (BLP), since 25 May 2018 — re-elected on 19 January 2022 with all 30 seats; the first woman in the office |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Santia Bradshaw, since 2022 |
| Parliament | Bicameral — the House of Assembly (30 elected members) and the Senate (21 appointed); established 1639, the third oldest legislature in the Commonwealth |
| Opposition | The Democratic Labour Party under Ralph Thorne, Leader of the Opposition since 2024 |
| Legal system | Common law, on the English model; final appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice since 2005 |
| Defence | The Barbados Defence Force, with the Barbados Regiment and a coast guard |
| United Nations | Member since 9 December 1966 |
| Regional memberships | CARICOM (a founder, 1973); the OAS; the Association of Caribbean States; the Commonwealth; the Caribbean Development Bank is headquartered in Bridgetown |
| World Trade Organization | Member since 1 January 1995 |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$7.2 billion (2025, IMF and Factbook) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$25,000 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 3–4% (2024–25) |
| Economy by sector | Services about 89% — tourism, financial services and business services; industry about 10%; agriculture about 1% |
| Currency | Barbadian dollar (BBD), at Bds$2 to US$1 |
| Tourism | The mainstay — the west-coast resorts, cricket and Crop Over; visitors from the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada above all |
| Financial services | An international business and insurance center since the 1980s |
| Sugar and rum | Sugar the old economy — a few thousand hectares remain; rum the enduring export, Mount Gay since 1703 |
| Public debt | Very high — reduced from about 175% of GDP in 2018 under an IMF-supported program |
| Import partners | The United States, Trinidad and Tobago, China, the United Kingdom |
| Income classification | High income (World Bank) |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airport | Grantley Adams International Airport, at Seawell in Christ Church |
|---|---|
| Main port | The Port of Bridgetown — the deep-water harbor of 1961, a cruise and cargo port |
| Roads | About 1,700 km (1,060 mi), driving on the left; the ABC Highway crosses the island |
| Railways | None — the Barbados Railway ran from 1881 to 1937 |
| Buses | The blue Transport Board buses, the yellow minibuses and the white ZR vans |
History in dates
| c. 1600 BC | The first Amerindian settlers |
|---|---|
| 1536 | The Portuguese navigator Pedro a Campos names the island |
| 1627 | English settlers land at Holetown, 17 February |
| 1639 | The House of Assembly first meets |
| 1640s | Sugar and enslaved labor transform the island |
| 1816 | Bussa's rebellion, 14 April |
| 1834 · 1838 | Emancipation and the end of apprenticeship |
| 1937 | The riots that began the modern labor movement |
| 1951 | Universal adult suffrage |
| 1966 | Independence, 30 November; Errol Barrow the first prime minister |
| 2005 | Barbados joins the Caribbean Court of Justice |
| 2018 | Mia Mottley becomes the first woman prime minister |
| 2021 | Barbados becomes a republic, 30 November; Dame Sandra Mason the first president |
| 2025 | Jeffrey Bostic sworn in as the second president, 30 November |
Records & firsts
| The oldest rum | Mount Gay, distilling since 1703 — the oldest rum brand in the world |
|---|---|
| An old parliament | The House of Assembly of 1639 — the third oldest legislature in the Commonwealth, after Westminster and Bermuda |
| The newest republic of the Americas | 30 November 2021 |
| Harrison's Cave | The crystallized limestone cavern beneath the island |
| Sir Garfield Sobers | By common consent the greatest all-round cricketer who ever lived — a National Hero |
| Rihanna | Born in St. Michael; declared a National Hero on the day of the republic |
| The flying fish | The island's emblem, and its dish with cou-cou |
| Crop Over | The harvest festival of the sugar era, reborn in 1974 — Grand Kadooment in August |
| Kensington Oval | Test cricket since 1930; the World Cup final of 2007 |
| Density | Among the most densely populated islands in the Americas |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Barbados?
Barbados — the state has no longer form. The name is Portuguese, "the bearded ones," and most likely describes the bearded fig tree whose hanging roots the sailors saw; the tree is on the coat of arms. Since 30 November 2021 Barbados has been a republic within the Commonwealth.
What is the capital of Barbados?
Bridgetown, on Carlisle Bay in the southwest — the only city, named for the bridge over the Constitution River at its heart. With its 18th-century Garrison it has been a World Heritage site since 2011; about a third of Barbadians live in the wider Bridgetown area.
How big is Barbados, and how many people live there?
About 430 km² (166 sq mi) — 34 km (21 mi) long and 23 km (14 mi) across at its widest, about two and a half times the size of Washington, D.C. — with 97 km (60 mi) of coast. The World Bank counts about 282,000 people; the CIA World Factbook estimates about 304,000.
What are the highest and lowest points of Barbados?
Mount Hillaby, 336 m (1,102 ft), in the Scotland District of St. Andrew parish, is the highest point; the Atlantic shore is the lowest. The island is a coral cap on sedimentary rock, terraced and gently rolling, with no rivers of any size — its water runs underground through caves such as Harrison's Cave.
What currency does Barbados use?
The Barbadian dollar (ISO code BBD, Bds$), fixed at Bds$2 to US$1 since 1975; U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere. Clocks keep Atlantic Standard Time, UTC−4, with no daylight saving.
Who governs Barbados?
President Jeffrey Bostic, a former army officer and health minister, elected unopposed by Parliament on 7 October 2025 and sworn in on 30 November 2025 as the republic's second head of state, succeeding Dame Sandra Mason; and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of the Barbados Labour Party, in office since 25 May 2018 and re-elected in January 2022 with every seat in the House of Assembly.
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