Barbados
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "Pride and Industry"
Anthem In Plenty and In Time of Need
Capital (and largest city)		Bridgetown 13°10′N, 59°32′W
Official languages		English
Demonym		Barbadian (Official), Bajan (Slang)
Government		Parliamentary democracy (Constitutional monarchy)
-	Monarch	Elizabeth II
-	Governor-General	Sir Clifford Husbands
-	Prime Minister	Owen Arthur
Independence		from United Kingdom
-	Date	30 November 1966
Area
-	Total	431 km² (199th) 167 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	July 2006 estimate	279,000 (174th)
-	Density	647 /km² (15th) 1,663 /sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$4.9 billion (149th)
-	Per capita	$17,610 (39th)
HDI (2004)		0.879 (high) (31st)
Currency		Barbadian dollar ($) (BBD)
Time zone		(UTC-4)
Internet TLD		.bb
Calling code		+1 246

Barbados (IPA: ), situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent island nation in the western Atlantic Ocean. At roughly 13° North and 59° West, the country lies in the southern Caribbean region, where it is a part of the Lesser Antilles island-chain. Its closest island neighbours are St. Vincent and St. Lucia to the west, Grenada to the south-west, and Trinidad and Tobago to the south, with which Barbados now shares a fixed official maritime boundary.

Barbados's total land area is about 430 square kilometres, (166 square miles), and is primarily low-lying, with some higher regions in the island's interior. The organic composition of Barbados is thought to be of non-volcanic origin and is predominantly composed of limestone-coral. The island's climate is tropical, with constant trade winds off the Atlantic Ocean serving to keep temperatures mild. Some more undeveloped areas of the country contain woodland and scrubland. Other parts of the interior which contribute to the agriculture industry are dotted with large sugarcane estates and wide, gently sloping pastures, with many good views down to the sea coast.

Barbados has one of the highest standards of living and literacy rates worldwide. Despite its small size, Barbados's Human Development Index ranking is consistently among the top 50 in the world. For example, in 2006, it was ranked thirty-first in the world, and third in the Americas, behind Canada and the United States. The island is also a major tourist destination.

Barbados Pictures