Key Facts About Barbados

Category: World Geography & International Relations | GS Paper I and II

SEO Title: Barbados: Location, Capital, Geography, Economy, CARICOM Membership and Republic Status

UPSC Notes

Barbados is an island country in the Caribbean region, located in the western Atlantic Ocean. It became independent from Britain in 1966 and became a republic in 2021.

CARICOM

  • Capital: Bridgetown.

  • Region: Caribbean.

  • Independence: 30 November 1966.

  • Republic status: 2021, when Barbados replaced the British monarch as head of state with a president.

  • Regional organisation: Member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) since 1973.

  • Currency: Barbadian dollar.

  • Economy: Tourism, financial services and other service industries.

  • Historical significance: Reflects the Caribbean's colonial history, plantation economy and transition to independent governance.

  • Geographical distinction: Barbados lies east of the main arc of the Lesser Antilles and is exposed to the Atlantic Ocean.

Key Pointers

  • Capital: Bridgetown.

  • Independence year: 1966.

  • Became a republic: 2021.

  • CARICOM membership: 1973.

  • Barbados is a sovereign country, not a British overseas territory.