Barbados! The name of this island immediately evokes associations with pirates, barrels of rum and volleys of ship’s cannons. Once in the vicinity of Barbados, pirates and filibusters of all stripes really swarmed, but a long time ago peacetime came to this Caribbean state.
Interesting facts about Barbados
- One and a half to two thousand years ago, South American Indians lived on Barbados, but Europeans who landed on the island at the beginning of the 17th century found it uninhabited.
- «Barbados» in Portuguese it means «beards», because on the island many trees are entwined with parasitic creeping plants that look like beards (interesting facts about trees).
- Local currency — dollar. True, not American, but Barbados. Curious fact — the Barbadian dollar is firmly pegged to the US dollar at a rate of two to one.
- Barbados gained independence from Great Britain in 1966, but the English monarch is still the official head of the country.
- Severe hurricanes hit Barbados infrequently — about four times a century (interesting facts about hurricanes).
- Barbados has one airport and several bus systems. There are also private minibuses, as well as taxis, but the latter is expensive.
- The official language of the country is English, but English-speaking visitors to Barbados often have trouble understanding the locals, as the local dialect, Beijang, differs markedly from the «classic» English.
- Medicine and education on the island are free for all residents.
- The Government of Barbados spends about one-fifth of the country’s total budget on the development of the education system. The literacy rate on the island — almost one hundred percent.
- The most popular sport in the country — cricket. This is a consequence of those times when Barbados was an English colony.
- Barbados has its own army of about a thousand personnel, including reservists.
- Children in Barbados are allowed to drink alcohol from the age of 10, but only in the presence of parents. Without it — only from the age of 18.
- It was this country that gave us such a popular and tasty fruit as grapefruit.
- In the center of the capital, Bridgetown, there is Trafalgar Square, which is a copy of Trafalgar Square in London (interesting facts about London).
- Barbados took part in both World Wars.
- The unofficial symbol of the island is flying fish.
- Barbados was the first Caribbean island to have running water. By the way, there are no problems with drinking water here even now.
- The ancestors of the monkeys that can be seen in Barbados were once brought here from Africa.
- In 1983, the Barbados army took part in operations to occupy Grenada, and tensions between these Caribbean countries are felt to this day (interesting facts about Grenada).
- It is here that the smallest snakes in the world are found — dwarf narrow-mouthed. The body length of an adult does not exceed ten centimeters.
- After 5-6 pm in Barbados, it is almost impossible to find a working store — at this time everything is already usually closed.