About Barbados

Whenever you travel to a new country it is advisable to obtain some information about your destination so that you are better prepared when you arrive. It is for this reason that we have provided a general outline of Barbados for you below.

Please be advised that this information is meant for reference purposes only, and all data contained on this page may change without prior warning. For more up to date information about Barbados, please consult a travel expert before you depart.

Official Name: Barbados

Capital: Bridgetown

Location: A small, independent island nation just east of the Caribbean Sea in the western Atlantic and to the northwest of Venezuela, Barbados shares a fixed maritime border with Trinidad and Tobago.

Size: 431 sq km; approximately 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate: Tropical, with a rainy season from June to October, which is also the hurricane season. Hurricanes hit Barbados itself infrequently, on average about every 27 years.

Population: Around 282,000

Life expectancy at birth: Barbados is a developed country with a life expectancy of around 77.3 years (compared with 78.2 for the US).

Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: In 2006 it was estimated that around 2,700 adults aged 15 or over in Barbados were living with HIV, with a prevalence rate of about 1.5% of the adult population, compared with around 0.2% in the UK. Levels of HIV/AIDs in the Caribbean are second only to those of southern Africa. In Barbados, AIDS is now the second biggest killer in the 20 to 45 age group and most of the cases are heterosexual. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS.

Major illnesses: Dengue Fever, common to Latin America and the Caribbean, can occur throughout the year. In 2007 there was a sharp increase in thenumber of dengue cases reported in the region, including 640 confirmed cases in Barbados. Take precautions to guard against mosquito bites. Barbados also has increasing numbers of elderly citizens and a relatively high incidence of diabetes, and sickle cell anaemia.

Ethnic Groups: black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%.

Languages: The official language is English; most Barbadians, also known as ‘Bajans’, speak a dialect of English known as Bajan.

Religion: Protestant Christian 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Government: A former British colony and member of the Commonwealth, Barbados has been independent since November 30 1966. As such, the Barbadian legal system owes much to English common law and the constitution is based on the Westminster system with a Westminster style parliament, which has been in existence for 369 years and is one of the oldest in the western hemisphere. Final appeal from Barbadian courts is however no longer to the UK Privy Council, but to the Caribbean Court of Justice, based in Trinidad and Tobago and inaugurated in 2005. Capital punishment is still retained in the penal code for murder and treason (the last executions were in 1984).

Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, as represented by current represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands (since 1 June 1996)

Head of Government: Prime Minister David Thompson (since 16 January 2008)

Military: The Royal Barbados Defence Force, including a Troop Command and the Barbados Coast Guard. These are increasing their efforts to combat smuggling and other illegal activities. Military service is voluntary.

Economy: Barbados has one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Tourism is today one of the country’s main industries, having overtaken the sugar industry in terms of importance some time in the 1990s. Growing sugar is still an important industry in Barbados, and the famous “Crop over” festival, a carnival held over 5 weeks in the summer, dates to a time when Barbados was the world’s biggest sugar producer. The festival features calypso music and dancing among many other things and culminates in the “Grand Kadooment” on the first Monday of August. The government encourages foreign investment in the island (helped by the country’s reputation for political and institutional stability) and the privatization of remaining state owned enterprises. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners and Barbados also has a healthy light manufacturing industry. Employment has been reduced to around 7.9% in recent years, partly thanks to tourism and related industries such as construction. Barbados is linked to other Caribbean countries through its membership of the Caribbean community and the Caribbean single market and economy.

GDP: Barbados has a purchasing power parity of US $5.317 billion and an actual GDP of US $3.739 billion

For more information about Barbados expat insurance, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.

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