Where is Barbados?
Traditional Bajan Wooden house
Barbados also known as ‘Bim’ or ‘Bimshire’ stemming from its long association with Britain is nestled in the Lesser Antilles and is 34 kilometres (21 miles) in length and as much as 23 kilometres (14 miles) in width, amounting to 431 square kilometres (166 sq mi) an area Usain Bolt could sprint around in probably ten seconds.
It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 168 kilometres (104 miles) east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-east of the Calypso and Soca city, Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados is outside of the principal Atlantic hurricane belt but has it fair share of earthquakes.
When …
Barbados has an estimated population of 284,000 people, with around 80,000 living in or around Bridgetown, the largest city and the country’s capital. In 1966, Barbados became an independent state and Commonwealth realm, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State. Barbados is one of the Caribbean’s leading tourist destinations and is one of the most developed islands in the region, attracting European holiday makers and residents thereby earning itself the nickname, Little Britain.
What is Barbados?
Barbados is a land of contrasts, part of Barbados’ unique charm comes from the old world happily coexisting with the new. Glass and marble offices stand next to brightly painted rum shops, satellite dishes festoon traditional wooden chattel houses, and high tech SUVs drive alongside donkey carts. Bordered by the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea on the West, and by the tumultuous Atlantic Ocean on the East, just driving from one coast to the other is an experience with breath-taking scenery.
The island’s stated goal is to become the world’s smallest developed nation and to be the #1 Place to Live, Work, Play and Invest. Source totallybarbados.com
Who are Bajans?
Bajans are fun loving, curiously suspicious but friendly people who love flying fish and cuckoo. These people love to party and are talented in many areas having produced statesmen in Grantley Adams, Errol Barrow and David Thompson to name a few; actors Cuba Gooding Jr, LL Cool J and Stacy Dash; musicians Rihanna, Alison Hinds, Shontelle and Grand Master Flash to name a few; athletes Anson Carter NHL Player Born in Canada, Ashley Cole English footballer (Chelsea) and Paul Ince English footballer and football Manager.
How is Barbados?
Barbados is the 51st richest country in the world in terms of GDP (Gross domestic product) per capita, has a well-developed mixed economy, and a moderately high standard of living. According to the World Bank, Barbados is classified as being in its 66 top High income economies of the world.
A 2012 self-study in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank revealed 20 percent of Barbadians live in poverty, and nearly 10 percent cannot meet their basic daily food needs. Nonetheless no country in the Caribbean can party like Bajans with the women being internationally known for their gyrating or wining rhythms!
Why is Barbados Special?
Bajans are very well-informed on politics and current affairs, and like to argue about such. It’s a great vacation spot for British and American tourists, and the Sandy Lane hotel has entertained guests such as Simon Cowell and many others. Barbados has great beaches, which no private entity or person may own.
The Bathsheba beach is well-known to surfers all over the world. Barbados is home to many fine rums such as Doorly’s, Cockspur Rum and Mount Gay Rum, which may be found in some grocery stores in America.
Crop Over Carnival
Photo courtesy sunnybarbados.net
Crop Over (formerly called “Harvest Home”), is a traditional harvest festival which began in Barbados, having had its early beginnings on the sugar cane plantations during the colonial period.
The crop over tradition began in 1688, and featured singing, dancing and accompaniment by bottles filled with water, shak-shak, banjo, triangle, fiddle, guitar, and bones. Other traditions included climbing a greased pole, feasting and drinking competitions.
Originally a celebration signaling the end of the yearly sugar cane harvest, it has since evolved into Barbados’ biggest national festival similar to Carnival in Brazil and Trinidad. With the harsh effects of World War II on Barbados, the festival was disbanded.
In the late 20th Century, it was later revived in 1974 by local stakeholders including Julian Marryshow, Flora Spencer, Emile Straker, and Livvy Burrowes with the then Barbados Tourist Board. With the gradual change, the general schematic of Crop Over began to closely mirror the Trinidad Carnival.
Beginning in June, Crop Over it runs until the first Monday in August when it culminates in the finale, The Grand Kadooment.
Errol Barrow
Errol Barrow served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He enlisted in the RAF on 31 December 1940 and flew some 45 operational bombing missions over the European Theatre.[1] By 1945 he had risen to the rank of Flying Officer and was appointed as personal navigator to the Commander in Chief of the British Zone of occupied Germany, Sir William Sholto Douglas.
After the war he studied Law at the Inns of Court and economics at the London School of Economics concurrently, taking degrees in 1949 and 1950 respectively. He also served during that time as Chairman of the Council of Colonial Students where his contemporaries included Forbes Burnham, Michael Manley, Pierre Trudeau, and Lee Kwan Yew, all destined to become political leaders in their home countries.
He returned to Barbados in 1950 and was elected to the Barbados Parliament in 1951 as a member of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). Feeling the fever of anti-colonialism he had inculcated during his student days in London, he quickly became dissatisfied by the incremental approach to change advocated by the party stalwarts.
In 1955 he founded the Democratic Labour Party as a progressive alternative to the BLP. He became its leader in 1958 and the party won parliamentary elections in 1961 within his constituency of St. John. Barrow served as Premier of Barbados from 1961 until 1966 when, after leading the country to independence from Great Britain, he became Prime Minister.
He served continuously in that capacity as well as stints as Minister of Finance, and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the next ten years. Prime Minister Errol Barrow collapsed and died at his home on 1 June 1987, becoming the second sitting Prime Minister to die in office.
By an act of Parliament in 1998, Barrow was named as one of the ten National Heroes of Barbados.
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper of Bajan parents, entrepreneur, and actor from Bay Shore, New York.
He is known for romantic ballads such as “I Need Love”, “Around the Way Girl” and “Hey Lover” as well as pioneering hip-hop such as “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”, “I’m Bad”, “The Boomin’ System”, and “Mama Said Knock You Out”.
He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, including 2008’s Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
As he grew older, Todd found a way to escape the effects of his abuse, and his bullying attitude: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandmother gave him to stop him riding motorcycles or doing karate.
Influenced by Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, funk legend Rick James, Kurtis Blow, and pioneers Run-DMC, LL started to create his own rap style.
Shontelle
Shontelle Layne (born 4 October 1985), known professionally as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer, and songwriter. She released her debut album Shontelligence in November 2008.
Her sophomore album, No Gravity, was released in September 2010. Her singles, “T-Shirt”, and “Impossible”, achieved modest international success.
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left back.
Cole began his career with Arsenal in 1999, going on to make 228 appearances, scoring 9 goals for the club, and winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a runners-up medal from the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final.
In August 2006, after a protracted transfer saga, he completed the move to rival club Chelsea in exchange for £5 million plus defender William Gallas.
Cole is a regular in the Chelsea first-team winning a second Champions League runners-up medal in 2008, three more FA Cups and his third Premier League title in 2010. On 15 May 2010, he became the first player to win six FA Cup winner’s medals.
Cole married singer Cheryl Cole (nee Tweedy) in July 2006. They separated in February 2010; she divorced him in September 2010 after claims he had cheated on her with over five women.
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