Barbados

Basic Data

Barbados, located northeast of Venezuela, is considered the Little England of the Caribbean. Not only were the British the original settlers — the island was uninhabited when they arrived in 1627—but the island remains an independent state within the British Commonwealth. The British monarch serves as the titular head of government and is represented by a Governor General. The Governor General appoints a Prime Minister, who presides over a bicameral Parliament that consists of a Senate, which is appointed by the Governor General, and a House of Assembly, which is popularly elected. The population of Barbados is approximately 275,000 and the literacy rate tops 97 percent. English is the official language. Sugarcane and molasses were once the most important Barbadian industries, but in the 1990's tourism took precedence as the largest contributor to the economy.

Freedom of speech and press are respected. The island's two largest newspapers, the Barbados Advocate and the Daily Nation, both publish daily in print and on line. Caribbean Week, a business and travel guide to the region, publishes weekly print editions and posts print content and daily updates on the Web portal cweek.com . Among the island's independent weekly newspapers are the Weekend Investigator and The Broad Street Journal, a business publication in print and online that serves Barbados and the surrounding area. Other weeklies are published by the companies behind its two daily newspapers; The Advocate Co. puts out Sunday Advocate and Nation Publishing Co. produces Eastern Caribbean News, Sunday Sunand Weekend Nation.

There are six FM stations and two AM stations broadcasting to approximately 237,000 radios. There is one television station, which is government-owned. Nineteen Internet service providers operate in Barbados.