Barbados is part of the Lesser Antilles island chain, and is an island surrounded by both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Barbados was originally settled by Amerindians from Venezuela sometime between 350-400 B.C. The Arawaks arrived in 800 B.C. only to be displaced by the Caribs around 1100 B.C. The Caribs were displaced or enslaved by the Portugese Empire in the 16th century, who stopped at the island before moving on to South America. The island fell under the control of the British in 1627, and would remain under British rule until it was able to win a peaceful independence on November 30, 1966.

The Barbados economy was initially based on the farming of sugarcane, but political stability and foreign investment has lead to a boom in tourism.

• Wikipedia: Politics of Barbados

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  Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

• Wikipedia: Geography of Barbados

• Maps Of World.com: Barbados