Barbados is a sovereign island nation in the Lesser Antilles with just 431 square kilometres (166 sq mi) of land area. The country was claimed for Spain in the late 15th century before being taken by English in the early 17th century. Barbados was a British colony until gaining independence in 1966, making it the only Caribbean island that didn’t change hands during colonial times.
Barbados is the 4th most densely populated country in the Americas and 15th globally, and it ranks as the 10th most populous island nation in the region. The capital and largest city of Barbados is Bridgetown, with a population of 110,000 and a density of 7,300 people per square kilometre.
About 90% of Barbadians, or Bajans, are of Afro-Caribbean and mixed descent. The rest of the population comprises Europeans (4%), mainly from Ireland and the United Kingdom, and Asians, mainly Indians and Chinese. Among the white Barbadians are an underclass called Redlegs, who are descendants of enslaved Irish people and prisoners imported to Barbados.
The Indo-Guyanese constitute a significant population outside of the Afro-Caribbean community. Chinese Barbadians make up a small percentage of the country’s Asian population, most of whom arrived during World War 2 from Hong Kong. There are also communities of Syrians and Lebanese on the island, most of whom came through trade opportunities. Barbados does have a Jewish community of descendants who arrived in the early 17th century.
While English is Barbados’s official language, most people speak a regional variant called creole in informal settings. Interestingly, Barbados shares a unique distinction with Japan: both countries have the highest per capita number of centenarians on Earth.
Barbados is located in the Caribbean Region of the North Atlantic Ocean. As an island in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados is a country in the West Indies. The GPS coordinates of Barbados are 13.1939° N and 59.5432° W. Just west of the Prime Meridian and north of the equator, Barbados is located just outside of the Caribbean Sea.
Although the country is completely surrounded by water, Barbados is near other islands. In the northwest, Saint Lucia and Martinique are northwest of Barbados. At the same time, the Grenadines and Saint Vincent are situated to the west. Venezuela, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, are in close proximity to Barbados to the southwest. To the southeast lies Guyana.
Total Area of Barbados
Barbados has a total area of only 169 square miles. The country has a length of 21 miles and a width of 14 miles. Based solely on total area, Barbados ranks as the 183rd largest country. There are only 195 countries worldwide, so it makes more sense to say that Barbados is the 13th smallest country. Either way, Barbados has one of the lowest total area mileages. The coastline of Barbados is 60 miles long.
Population and Density
Barbados’s population, as of 2018, is 286,655. From here, it is possible to calculate the population density. By dividing the population by the total area, we can discover that there are roughly 1,696.18 people per square mile, which equates to 1,697 people per square mile.
In terms of population, Barbados is the 181st most populous country. On a similar note, considering population density alone, Barbados is the 15th most dense country.
Points of Elevation
On average, Barbados’s elevation ranges between 590.5 and 787 feet above sea level. At its lowest elevation point, Barbados is directly at sea level along the Atlantic Ocean. With an altitude of 1,116 feet above sea level, Mount Hillaby marks the highest elevation point in Barbados.
Extreme Points of Barbados
Barbados is entirely surrounded by water. The northernmost and southernmost points of the country are defined as the North Point and the South Point, respectively. To the east, the most extreme point is located near Saint Philip, a territory of Barbados. The westernmost point of Barbados is in Harrison’s Point near Saint Lucy.
Official Name Barbados
Common Name Barbados
Area 430 km²
Calling Code 1246
Capital Bridgetown
Demonym Barbadian
Landlocked No
Lat/Long 13.16666666,-59.53333333
Continent North America
Region North America
Subregion Caribbean
