Country of the World Barbados

About the country Barbados, its location, size, population, leaders and rulers.

NATIONS AND THEIR RULER

BARBADOS

Size: 166 sq. mi. (430 sq. km.).

Population: 255,000.

Coral reefs almost completely surround Barbados, a hilly, terraced island in the extreme eastern Caribbean. Plantations of sugarcane, long the basis of the island's economy, cover the slopes and coastal plateaus. Independent of Britain since 1966, Barbados has developed its own political style and contacts, while retaining a basically British form of government. Although left-leaning, the island depends heavily on tourism for its income and therefore is not anxious to irritate possible tourists or investors.