User:NoOoSy/sandbox

<!-- EDIT BELOW THIS LINE -- In 1966, Barbados became an independent state and Commonwealth realm with the British Monarch (presently Queen Elizabeth II) as hereditary head of state.[1] It has a population of 280,121 people, but despite being said to be mostly of African rankedfffgges it has been known as vLittle England being that it broke away from England and gained independence in the year as 1966.[2] Despite being classified as an Atlantic island, Barbados is considered to be a part of the Caribbean, where it is as a leading tourist destination. In 2014, Barbados ranked second in the Americas (after Canadav) and 17th globally (after Belgium and Japan) on Transparencyddgggcddxxxxd vvf's Corruption Perception Index.[3]

Etymology The origin of the name Barbados is either the Portuguese word Barbados or the Spanish gddggfffgfddhjjkbbhjhhhvv los Barbados, both meaning "the bearded ones". It is unclear vvhggggvvvvvvv "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), indige

Coordinates: 13°10′N 59°33′W Barbados Flag	Coat of arms Motto: "Pride and Industry" Anthem: In Plenty and In Time of Need

Capital and largest city	Bridgetown 13°06′N 59°37′W Official languages	English Recognised regional languages	Barbadian Ethnic groups (2010) 92.4% Black 3.1% Multiracial 2.7% White 1.3% East Indian 0.4% Other/Unspecified Religion 74.6% Christian 4.8% other 20.6% none / unspecified Demonym	Barbadian Bajan (colloquial) Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy • 	Monarch	Elizabeth II • 	Governor-General	Elliott Belgrave • 	Prime Minister	Freundel Stuart Legislature	Parliament • 	Upper house	Senate • 	Lower house	House of Assembly Independence • 	from the United Kingdom	30 November 1966 Area • 	Total	439 km2 (200th) 166 sq mi • 	Water (%)	negligible Population • 	2010 census	277,821 (181st) • 	Density	660/km2 (15th) 1,704/sq mi GDP (PPP)	2015 estimate • 	Total	$4.658 billion • 	Per capita	$16,653 (73rd) GDP (nominal)	2015 estimate • 	Total	$4.451 billion • 	Per capita	$15,912 HDI (2014)	Steady 0.785 high · 57th Currency	Barbadian dollar ($) (BBD) Time zone	Eastern Caribbean (UTC-4) • 	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC-4) Drives on the	left Calling code	+1 -246 ISO 3166 code	BB Internet TLD	.bb Barbados (i/bɑrˈbeɪdɒs/ or /bɑrˈbeɪdoʊs/) is a sovereign island country in the Lesser Antilles, in the Americas. It is 34 kilometres (21 mi) in length and up to 23 kilometres (14 mi) in width, covering an area of 432 square kilometres (167 sq mi). It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres (62 mi) east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea;[4] therein, it is about 168 kilometres (104 mi) east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-east of Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados is outside of the principal ju hurricane belt. Its capghejdiital is Bridgetown.

Inhabited by Kalingo people jsjejejdjohjsince the 13th century, and prior to that by other Amerindians, Barbados was visited by Spanish navigators in the late 15th century and claimed for the Spanish Crown. It first apTYystujdjdjdjjjejpears on a Spanish map from 1511.[5] The Portuguese visited the island in 1536ueueh, but they left it unclaimed, with their only remnants being an introduction of wild hogs for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited. An English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados in 1625; its men took possession of it in the name of King James I. In 1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and it became an English and later British colony.[6]

nous to the island; or to the allegedly bearded Caribs once inhabiting the island; or, more fancifully, bto a visual impression of a beard formed by the sea foam that sprays over the outlying reefs. In 1519, a map produced by the Genoese mapmaker Visconte Maggiolo showed and named Barbados in its correct position. Furthermore, the island of Barbuda in the Leewards is very similar in name and was once named Las Barbudas by the Spanish.

It is uncertain which European nation arrived first in Barbados. According to some sources it was the Spanish. Others believe the Portuguese, en route to Brazil,[7][8] were the first Europeans to come upon the island.

The original name for Barbados in the Pre-Columbian era was Ichirouganaim according to accounts by descendants of the indigenous Arawakan-speaking tribes in other regional areas, with possible translations including "Red land with white teeth",[9] "Redstone island with teeth outside (reefs)",[10] or simply "Teeth".[11][12][13]

Other names or nicknames associated with Barbados include "Bim" and "Bimshire". The origin is uncertain but several theories exist. The National Cultural Foundation of Barbados says that "Bim" was a word commonly used by slaves and that it derives from the Igbo term bém from bé mụ́ meaning 'my home, kindred, kind',[14] the Igbo phoneme /e/ in the Igbo orthography is very close to [ ɪ ].[15] The name could have arisen due to the relatively large percentage of enslaved Igbo people from modern-day southeastern Nigeria arriving in Barbados in the 18th century.[16][17]

The words 'Bim' and 'Bimshire' are recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionaries. Another possible source for 'Bim' is reported to be in the Agricultural Reporter of 25 April 1868, where the Rev. N. Greenidge (father of one of the island's most famous scholars, Abel Hendy Jones Greenidge) suggested the listing of Bimshire as a county of England. Expressly named were "Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Bimshire".[14] Lastly, in the Daily Argosy (of Demerara, i.e. Guyana) of 1652 there is a reference to Bim as a possible corruption of 'Byam', the name of a Royalist leader against the Parliamentarians. That source suggested the followers of Byam became known as 'Bims' and that this became a word for all Barbadians.[14]

History Main article: History of Barbados

Statue of Bussa, Bridgetown. Bussa led the largest slave rebellion in Barbadian history. Amerindian settlement of Barbados dates to about the 4th to 7th centuries AD, by a group known as the Saladoid-Barrancoid.[18] In the 13th century, the Kalinago arrived from South America.[19]

The Spanish and Portuguese briefly claimed Barbados from the late 16th to the 17th centuries. The Arawaks are believed to have fled to neighbouring islands. Apart from possibly displacing the Caribs, the Spanish and Portuguese made little impact and left the island uninhabited. Some Arawaks migrated from British Guiana (modern-day Guyana) in the 19th century and continue to live in Barbados.[19][20][21]

From the arrival of the first English settlers in 1627–1628 until independence in 1966, Barbados was under uninterrupted English and later British governance and was the only Caribbean island that did not change hands during the colonial period. In the ve

In 1966, Barbados became an independent state and Commonwealth realm with the British Monarch (presently Queen Elizabeth II) as hereditary head of state.[22] It has a population of 280,121 people, but despite being said to be mostly of African rankedfffgges it has been known as vLittle England being that it broke away from England and gained independence in the year as 1966. Despite being classified as an Atlantic island, Barbados is considered to be a part of the Caribbean, where it is as a leading tourist destination. In 2014, Barbados ranked second in the Americas (after Canadav) and 17th globally (after Belgium and Japan) on Transparencyddgggcddxxxxd vvf's Corruption Perception Index.[23]

Etymology The origin of the name Barbados is either the Portuguese word Barbados or the Spanish gddggfffgfddhjjkbbhjhhhvv los Barbados, both meaning "the bearded ones". It is unclear vvhggggvvvvvvv "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), indigery early years, the majority of the population was white and male, with African slaves providing little of the workforce. Cultivation of tobacco, cotton, ginger and indigo was handled primarily by European indentured labour until the start of the sugar cane industry in the 1640s. As Barbados' economy grew, Barbados developed a large measure of local autonomy through its founding as a proprietary colony. Its House of Assembly began meeting in 1639. Among the island's earliest leading figures was the Anglo-Dutch Sir William Courten.

The 1780 hurricane killed over 4,000 people on Barbados. In 1854, a cholera epidemic killed over 20,000 inhabitants.[24] At emancipation in 1833, the size of the slave population was approximately 83,000. Between 1946 and 1980, Barbados' rate of population growth was diminished by one-third because of emigration to Britain.[25]

Geography and climate Main article: Geography of Barbados

A map of Barbados Barbados is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies Islands. Barbados is the easternmost island in the Lesser Antilles. It is flat in comparison to its island neighbours to the west, the Windward Islands. The island rises gently to the central highland region, with the high point of the nation being Mount Hillaby in the geological Scotland District 340 metres (1,120 ft) above sea level.

In the parish of Saint Michael lies Barbados' capital and main city, Bridgetown. Other major towns scattered across the island include Holetown, in the parish of Saint James; Oistins, in the parish of Christ Church; and Speightstown, in the parish of Saint Peter.

Geology Barbados lies on the boundary of the South American and the Caribbean Plates.[26] The subduction of the South American plate beneath the Caribbean plate scrapes sediment from the South American plate and deposits it above the subduction zone forming an accretionary prism. The rate of this depositing of material allows Barbados to rise at a rate of about 25 millimetres (0.98 in) per 1,000 years.[27] This subduction means geologically the island is composed of coral roughly (90 m or 300 ft thick), where reefs formed above the sediment. The land slopes in a series of "terraces" in the west and goes into an incline in the east. A large proportion of the island is circled by coral reefs.

The erosion of limestone rock in the North East of the island, in the Scotland District, has resulted in the formation of various caves and gullies, some of which have become popular tourist attractions such as Harrison's Cave and Welchman Hall Gully. On the Atlantic East coast of the island coastal landforms, including stacks, have been created due to the limestone composition of the area.

Climate

Bathsheba on the east coast of the island. The country generally experiences two seasons, one of which includes noticeably higher rainfall. Known as the "wet season", this period runs from June to November. By contrast, the "dry season" runs from December to May. Annual precipitation ranges between 40 and 90 inches (1,000 and 2,300 mm). From December to May the average temperatures range from 21 to 31 °C (70 to 88 °F), while between June and November, they range from 23 to 31 °C (73 to 88 °F).[28]

On the Köppen climate classification scale, much of Barbados is regarded as a tropi

In 1966, Barbados became an independent state and Commonwealth realm with the British Monarch (presently Queen Elizabeth II) as hereditary head of state.[29] It has a population of 280,121 people, but despite being said to be mostly of African rankedfffgges it has been known as vLittle England being that it broke away from England and gained independence in the year as 1966. Despite being classified as an Atlantic island, Barbados is considered to be a part of the Caribbean, where it is as a leading tourist destination. In 2014, Barbados ranked second in the Americas (after Canadav) and 17th globally (after Belgium and Japan) on Transparencyddgggcddxxxxd vvf's Corruption Perception Index.[30]

Etymology The origin of the name Barbados is either the Portuguese word Barbados or the Spanish gddggfffgfddhjjkbbhjhhhvv los Barbados, both meaning "the bearded ones". It is unclear vvhggggvvvvvvv "bearded" refers to the long, hanging roots of the bearded fig-tree (Ficus citrifolia), indigecal monsoon climate (Am). However, gentle breezes of 12–16 kilometres per hour (8–10 mph) abound throughout the year and give Barbados a climate which is moderately tropical.

Infrequent natural hazards include earthquakes, landslips and hurricanes. Barbados is often spared the worst effects of the region's tropical storms and hurricanes during the rainy season. Its location in the south-east of the Caribbean region puts the country just outside the principal hurricane strike zone. On average, a major hurricane strikes about once every 26 years. The last significant hit from a hurricane to cause severe damage to Barbados was Hurricane Janet in 1955; in 2010 the island was struck by Hurricane Tomas, but this caused only minor damage across the country.[31]

Environmental issues

Barbados, seen from the International Space Station. Barbados is susceptible to environmental pressures. As one of the world's most densely populated isles, the government worked during the 1990s[32] to aggressively integrate the growing south coast of the island into the Bridgetown Sewage Treatment Plant to reduce contamination of offshore coral reefs.[33][34] As of the first decade of the 21st century, a second treatment plant has been proposed along the islands' west coast. Being so densely populated, Barbados has made great efforts to protect its underground aquifers.[35]

As a coral-limestone island, Barbados is highly permeable to seepage of surface water into the earth. The government has placed great emphasis on protecting the catchment areas that lead directly into the huge network of underground aquifers and streams.[35] On occasion illegal squatters have breached these areas, and the government has removed squatters to preserve the cleanliness of the underground springs which provide the island's drinking water.[36]

The government has placed a huge emphasis on keeping Barbados clean with the aim of protecting the environment and preserving offshore coral reefs which surround the island. Many initiatives to mitigate human pressures on the coastal regions of Barbados and seas come from the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU).[37] Barbados has nearly 90 km of coral reefs just offshore and two protected marine parks have been established off the west coast.[38] Overfishing is another threat which faces Barbados.[39]

Barbados is host to four species of nesting turtles (green turtles, loggerheads, hawksbill turtles, and leatherbacks) and has the second-largest hawksbill turtle breeding population in the Caribbean.[40] The driving of vehicles on beaches can crush nests buried in the sand and such activity should be avoided in nesting areas.[41]

Though on the opposite side of the Atlantic, and some 4800 km west of Africa, Barbados is one of many places in the American continent that experiences heightened levels of mineral dust from the Sahara Desert.[42] Some particularly intense dust episodes have been blamed partly for the impacts on the health of coral reefs[43] surrounding Barbados or asthmatic episodes,[44] but evidence has not wholly supported the former such claim.[45]

Government and politics

The parliament building in Bridgetown. Main articles: Government of Barbados and Politics of Barbados Barbados has been an independent country since 30 November 1966. It functions as a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy modelled on the British Westminster system. The British and Barbadian monarch — Queen Elizabeth II — is head of state and is represented locally by the Governor-General of Barbados — presently Elliott Belgrave. Both are advised on matters of the Barbadian state by the Prime Minister of Barbados, who is head of government. There are 30 representatives within the House of Assembly.

The Constitution of Barbados is the supreme law of the nation.[46] The Attorney General heads the independent judiciary. New Acts are passed by the Barbadian Parliament and require royal assent by the governor-general to become law.

During the 1990s at the suggestion of Trinidad and Tobago's Patrick Manning, Barbados attempted a political union with Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The project stalled after the then prime minister of Barbados, Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, became ill and his Democratic Labour Party lost the next general election.[47][48] Barbados continues to share close ties with Trinidad and Tobago and with Guyana, claiming the highest number of Guyanese immigrants after the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Political culture

Freundel Stuart is the Prime Minister of Barbados. Barbados functions as a two-party system. The dominant political parties are the Democratic Labour Party and the opposition Barbados Labour Party. Since Independence the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has governed from 1976 to 1986 and from September 1994 to 2008. The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) held office 1966 to 1976, from 1986 to 1994, and has formed the government from January 2008 to present.

Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of Barbados Barbados is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).[49] Organization of American States (OAS), Commonwealth of Nations, and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). In 2005 the Parliament of Barbados voted on a measure replacing the UK's Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Barbados is an original member (1995) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and participates actively in its work. It grants at least MFN treatment to all its trading partners. As of December 2007, Barbados is linked by an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Commission. The pact involves the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) subgroup of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP). CARIFORUM is the only part of the wider ACP-bloc that has concluded the full regional trade-pact with the European Union.

Trade policy has also sought to protect a small number of domestic activities, mostly food production, from foreign competition, while recognising that most domestic needs are best met by imports.

In 2013, CARICOM called for European nations to pay reparations for slavery and established an official reparations commission.[50]

Military The Barbados Defence Force has roughly 600 members. Within it, 12- to 18-year-olds make up the Barbados Cadet Corps. The defence preparations of the island nation are closely tied to defence treaties with the United Kingdom, the United States, and the People's Republic of China.[51]

The Royal Barbados Police Force is the sole law enforcement agency on the island of Barbados.

Administrative divisions Main article: Parishes of Barbados Barbados is divided into 11 parishes:

Christ Church Saint Andrew Saint George Saint James Saint John Saint Joseph Saint Lucy Saint Michael Saint Peter Saint Philip Saint Thomas Atlantic OceanSaint LucySaint PeterSaint AndrewSaint JamesSaint ThomasSaint JosephSaint JohnSaint GeorgeSaint MichaelChrist ChurchSaint PhilipBARBADOS St. George and St. Thomas are in the middle of the country and are the only parishes without coastlines.

Economy Main article: Economy of Barbados

A proportional representation of national exports. Barbados is the 53rd richest country in the world in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita,[52] 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.[53] A 2012 self-study in conjunction with the Caribbean Development Bank revealed 20% of Barbadians live in poverty, and nearly 10% cannot meet their basic daily food needs.[54]

Historically, the economy of Barbados had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but since the late 1970s and early 1980s it has diversified into the manufacturing and tourism sectors. Offshore finance and information services have become important foreign exchange earners, and there is a healthy light manufacturing sector. Since the 1990s the Barbados Government has been seen as business-friendly and economically sound. [citation needed] The island saw a construction boom, with the development and redevelopment of hotels, office complexes, and homes. This slowed during the 2008 economic crisis.[55]

Recent government administrations have continued efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage foreign direct investment, and privatise remaining state-owned enterprises. Unemployment was reduced to 10.7% in 2003.[56] However, it has since increased to 11.9% in second quarter, 2015.[57]

The economy contracted in 2001 and 2002 due to slowdowns in tourism, consumer spending and the impact of the 11 September 2001 attacks, but rebounded in 2003 and has shown growth since 2004.[56] Traditional trading partners include Canada, the Caribbean Community (especially Trinidad and Tobago), the United Kingdom and the United States.

Business links and investment flows have become substantial: as of 2003 the island saw from Canada CA$ 25 billion in investment holdings, placing it as one of Canada's top five destinations for Canadian foreign direct investment (FDI). Businessman Eugene Melnyk of Toronto, Canada, is said to be one of Barbados' richest permanent residents.[58]

It has been reported that the year 2006 was the busiest years for building construction ever in Barbados, as the building-boom on the island entered the final stages for several multimillion-dollar commercial projects.[59]

The European Union is assisting Barbados with a €10 million program of modernisation of the country's International Business and Financial Services Sector.[60]

Barbados maintains the third largest stock exchange in the Caribbean region. As of 2009, officials at the stock exchange were investigating the possibility of augmenting the local exchange with an International Securities Market (ISM) venture.[61]

Society Demographics Main articles: Demographics of Barbados and Barbadian people

A bus stop in Barbados.

People shopping in the capital Bridgetown. Barbados has a population of about 281,968 and a population growth rate of 0.33% (Mid-2005 estimates).

Ethnic groups Close to 90% of all Barbadians (also known colloquially as "Bajan") are of Afro-Caribbean descent ("Afro-Bajans") and mixed-descent. The remainder of the population includes groups of Europeans ("Anglo-Bajans" / "Euro-Bajans") mainly from the United Kingdom and Ireland, along with Asians, mostly Chinese and Indians (both Hindu and Muslim). Other groups in Barbados include people from the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Barbadians who return after years of residence in the United States and children born in America to Bajan parents are called "Bajan Yankees", a term considered derogatory by some.[62] Generally, Bajans recognise and accept all "children of the island" as Bajans, and refer to each other as such.

The biggest communities outside the Afro-Caribbean community are:

The Indo-Guyanese, an important part of the economy due to the increase of immigrants from partner country Guyana. There are reports of a growing Indo-Bajan diaspora originating from Guyana and India. Mostly from southern India and Hindu states, they are growing in size but smaller than the equivalent communities in Trinidad & Guyana. Euro-Bajans (4% of the population)[56] have settled in Barbados since the 17th century, originating from England, Ireland and Scotland. In 1643, there were 37,200 whites in Barbados (86% of the population).[63] More commonly they are known as "White Bajans". Euro-Bajans introduced folk music, such as Irish music and Highland music, and certain place names, such as "Scotland", a mountainous region. Among White Barbadians there exists an underclass known as Redlegs; the descendants of Irish indentured labourers and prisoners imported to the island.[64] Many additionally moved on to become the earliest settlers of modern-day North and South Carolina in the United States. Chinese-Barbadians are a small portion of Barbados' Asian demographics. Most if not all first arrived in the 1940s during the Second World War. Many Chinese-Bajans have the surnames Chin, Chynn or Lee, although other surnames prevail in certain areas of the island. Chinese food and culture is becoming part of everyday Bajan culture. Lebanese and Syrians form the Arab community on the island, and the Muslim minority among them make up a small percentage of the Muslim population. The majority of the Lebanese and Syrians arrived in Barbados through trade opportunities. Their numbers are falling due to emigration to other countries. Jews arrived in Barbados just after the first settlers in 1627. Bridgetown is the home of Nidhe Israel Synagogue, the oldest Jewish synagogue in the Americas, dating from 1654, though the current structure was erected in 1833 replacing one ruined by the hurricane of 1831. Tombstones in the neighbouring cemetery date from the 1630s. Now under the care of the Barbados National Trust, the site was deserted in 1929 but was saved and restored by the Jewish community beginning in 1986. The Muslim-Indian Barbadian community is largely of Gujarati ancestry. Many small businesses in Barbados are run and operated by Muslim-Indian Bajans. [citation needed] Romani people (Gypsies) from England who were expelled and deported to Barbados.[65] Languages English is the official language of Barbados, and is used for communications, administration, and public services all over the island. In its capacity as the official language of the country, the standard of English tends to conform to the vocabulary, pronunciations, spellings, and conventions akin to, but not exactly the same as, those of British English.

A regional variant of English, referred to locally as Bajan, is spoken by most Barbadians in everyday life, especially in informal settings. In its full-fledged form, Bajan sounds markedly different from the Standard English heard on the island. The degree of intelligibility between Bajan and general English, for the general English speaker, depends on the level of creolised vocabulary and idioms. A Bajan speaker may be completely unintelligible to an English speaker from another country. Bajan is influenced by other Caribbean English dialects.

Religion Main article: Religion in Barbados Most Barbadians of African and European descent are Christians (95%), the largest denomination being Anglican (40%). Other Christian denominations with significant followings in Barbados are the Catholic Church (which has its Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgetown on the island), Pentecostals (Evangelicals) Jehovah's Witnesses, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Spiritual Baptists. The Church of England was the official state religion until its legal disenfranchisement by the Parliament of Barbados following independence.[66]

Other religions in Barbados include Hinduism, Islam, Bahá'í,[67] Judaism and Wicca.

Health The life expectancy for Barbados residents as of 2011 is 74 years. The average life expectancy is 72 years for males and 77 years for females (2005).[56] Barbados and Japan have the highest per capita occurrences of centenarians in the world.[68]

The crude birth rate is 12.23 births per 1,000 people, and the crude death rate is 8.39 deaths per 1,000 people. The infant mortality rate is 11.63 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

All Barbadian citizens are covered by national healthcare. Barbados has over twenty polyclinics throughout the country in addition to the main Queen Elizabeth Hospital (General Hospital) located in Bridgetown. In 2011, the Government of Barbados signed a Memorandum of Understanding to lease its 22-acre Saint Joseph Hospital site to the Denver, Colorado-based America World Clinics. Under the deal, the group will use Barbados as one of its main destinations for medical tourism at that facility. The government also announced it would begin constructing a new $900 million state-of-the-art hospital to replace the QEH.

Education Main article: Education in Barbados

Schoolchildren in Christ Church, Barbados. The Barbados literacy rate is ranked close to 100%.[69] The mainstream public education system of Barbados is fashioned after the British model. The government of Barbados spends 6.7% of its GDP on education (2008).[56]

All young people in the country must attend school until age 16. Barbados has over 70 primary schools and over 20 secondary schools throughout the island. There are a number of private schools, including Montessori and the International Baccalaureate. Student enrolment at these schools represents less than 5% of the total enrolment of the public schools.

Degree-level education in the country is provided by the Barbados Community College, the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, and the Cave Hill campus and Open Campus of the University of the West Indies.

Educational testing Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination: Children who are 11 years old but under 12 years old on September 1 in the year of the examination are required to write the examination as a means of allocation to secondary school.

Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are usually taken by students after five years of secondary school and mark the end of standard secondary education. The CSEC examinations are equivalent to the Ordinary Level (O-Levels) examinations and are targeted toward students 16 and older.

Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) are taken by students who have completed their secondary education and wish to continue their studies. Students who sit for the CAPE usually possess CSEC or an equivalent certification. The CAPE is equivalent to the British Advanced Levels (A-Levels), voluntary qualifications that are intended for university entrance.[70]

Culture

International pop star Rihanna, a native of Barbados. Main article: Culture of Barbados Barbados has brought forth several great cricketers, including Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Frank Worrell.

Citizens are officially called Barbadians. The term "Bajan" (pronounced BAY-jun) may have come from a localised pronunciation of the word Barbadian, which at times can sound more like "Bar-bajan".

The largest carnival-like cultural event that takes place on the island is the Crop Over festival. As in many other Caribbean and Latin American countries, Crop Over is an important event for many people on the island, as well as the thousands of tourists that flock to there to participate in the annual events. The festival includes musical competitions and other traditional activities, and features the majority of the island's homegrown calypso and soca music for the year. The male and female Barbadians who harvested the most sugarcane are crowned as the King and Queen of the crop.[71] Crop Over gets under way at the beginning of July and ends with the costumed parade on Kadooment Day, held on the first Monday of August.

Music Further information: Music of Barbados In music, eight-time Grammy Award winner Rihanna (born in Saint Michael) is one of Barbados' best-known artists. In 2009 she was appointed as an Honorary Ambassador of youth and culture for Barbados by the late Prime Minister, David Thompson. Rihanna has however faced some criticism from her homeland for her performance. In 2011, Bishop Marlon Husbands targeted Rihanna's provocative performance, specifically one in Northern Ireland, as proof of her "always doing foolishness" as he attacked the island as a whole for an increase in "level of indiscipline, immorality and homosexuality." Husbands also added that Rihanna should not be looked at as a model for the youth in Barbados and should not be seen as a cultural ambassador.[72]

Singer-songwriter Shontelle, the band Cover Drive, musician Rupee and Mark Morrison, singer of Top 10 hit "Return of the Mack" also originate from Barbados. Grandmaster Flash (born Joseph Saddler in Bridgetown in 1958) is a hugely influential musician of Barbadian origin, pioneering hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing in 1970s New York. The Merrymen are a well known Calypso band based in Barbados, performing from the 1960s into the 2010s.

Public holidays Further information: Public holidays in Barbados Date	English name	Remarks 1 January	New Year's Day 21 January	Errol Barrow Day	A day of recognition for Errol Barrow the Father of the Nation. —	Good Friday	Friday, date varies —	Easter Monday	Monday, date varies 28 April	National Heroes' Day	A day of recognition for Barbados' national heroes. 1 May	Labour Day	1st Monday in may, date varies —	Whit Monday	Monday, date varies 1 August	Emancipation Day	The date on which slavery was abolished on the island. —	Kadooment Day	1st Monday in August, date varies 30 November	Independence Day	The anniversary of Barbadian national independence, from the United Kingdom in 1966. 25 December	Christmas Day 26 December. Boxing Day Sports Main article: Sport in Barbados

Kensington Oval in Bridgetown hosted the 2007 Cricket World Cup final. Cricket is one of the most followed games in Barbados and Kensington Oval is often referred to as the "Mecca in Cricket" due to its significance and contributions to the sport. As in other Caribbean countries of British colonial heritage, cricket is very popular on the island. The West Indies cricket team usually includes several Barbadian players. In addition to several warm-up matches and six "Super Eight" matches, the country hosted the final of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Barbados has produced many great cricketers including Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Gordon Greenidge, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall.

Horse racing takes place at the Historic Garrison Savannah close to Bridgetown. Spectators can pay for admission to the stands, or else can watch races from the public "rail", which encompasses the track.

Obadele Thompson is a world-class sprinter from Barbados; he won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games of 2000 in the 100m sprint. Ryan Brathwaite, a hurdler, reached the 2008 Olympic semi-finals in Beijing. Brathwaite also earned Barbados its first ever medal at the world championships in Berlin, Germany on 20 August 2009, when he won the men's 110 meter hurdles title. The 21-year-old timed a national record of 13.14 seconds to win the Gold Medal.

Basketball is an increasingly popular sport, played at school or college. Barbados' national team has shown some unexpected results as in the past it beat many much larger countries.

Polo is very popular amongst the rich elite on the island and the "High-Goal" Apes Hill team is based at the St James's Club.[73] It is also played at the private Holders Festival ground.

In golf, the Barbados Open is an annual stop on the European Seniors Tour. In December 2006 the WGC-World Cup took place at the country's Sandy Lane resort on the Country Club course, an 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio. The Barbados Golf Club is the other main course on the island. Sanctioned by the PGA European Tour to host a PGA Seniors Tournament in 2003 and it has also hosted the Barbados Open on several occasions.

Volleyball is also popular, though volleyball is mainly played indoors.

Tennis is gaining popularity and Barbados is home to Darian King, currently ranked 270th in the world and is the 2nd highest ranked player in the Caribbean.

Motorsports also play a role, with Rally Barbados occurring each summer and being listed on the FIA NACAM calendar. Also, the Bushy Park Circuit hosted the Race of Champions and Global RallyCross Championship in 2014.

The presence of the trade winds along with favourable swells make the southern tip of the island an ideal location for wave sailing (an extreme form of the sport of windsurfing).

Netball is also popular with women in Barbados.

Barbadian team The Flyin' Fish, are the 2009 Segway Polo World Champions.[74]

Transport Main article: Transport in Barbados

An old Barbados Transport Board bus in Bridgetown. Although Barbados is only about 34 kilometres (21 mi) at its widest point, a car journey from Six Cross Roads in St. Philip (south-east) to North Point in St. Lucy (north-central) can take one and a half hours or longer due to poor roads. Barbados has half as many registered cars as citizens.

Public transport on the island is relatively convenient with "route taxis" called "ZRs" (pronounced "Zed-Rs") travelling to most points on the island. These small buses can at times be crowded, as passengers are generally never turned down regardless of the number. They will usually take the more scenic routes to destinations. They generally depart from the capital Bridgetown or from Speightstown in the northern part of the island.

Including the ZRs, there are three bus systems running seven days a week (though less frequently on Sundays). There are ZRs, the yellow minibuses and the blue Transport Board buses. A ride on any of them costs BBD$2.00. The smaller buses from the two privately owned systems ("ZRs" and "minibuses") can give change; the larger blue buses from the government-operated Barbados Transport Board system cannot, but do give receipts. Children in school uniform ride for free on the government buses and for $1.50 on the minibuses and ZRs. Most routes require a connection in Bridgetown. Some drivers within the competitive privately owned systems are reluctant to advise persons to use competing services, even if those would be more suitable.

Some hotels also provide visitors with shuttles to points of interest on the island from outside the hotel lobby. There are several locally owned and operated vehicle rental agencies in Barbados but there are no multi-national companies.

The island's lone airport is the Grantley Adams International Airport. It receives daily flights by several major airlines from points around the globe, as well as several smaller regional commercial airlines and charters. The airport serves as the main air-transportation hub for the eastern Caribbean. In the first decade of the 21st century it underwent a US$100 million upgrade and expansion.

There is also a helicopter shuttle service, which offers air taxi services to a number of sites around the island, mainly on the West Coast tourist belt. Air and maritime traffic is regulated by the Barbados Port Authority.

See also Outline of Barbados Index of Barbados-related articles Geography portalNorth America portalCaribbean portalCaricom portalCommonwealth realms portal References Barbados CIA World Factbook "Barbados – General Information". GeoHive. Retrieved 16 December 2013. Barbados, International Monetary Fund. "2015 Human Development Report" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2015. "Barbados". 29 August 2006. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. (fco.gov.uk), updated 5 June 2006. Chapter 4 – The Windward Islands and Barbados – U.S. Library of Congress Sauer, Carl Ortwin (1969) [1966]. Early Spanish Main, The. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 0-520-01415-4. Secretariat. "Barbados – History". Commonwealth of Nations. HRM Queen Elizabeth II (2010). "History and present government – Barbados". The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010. . Transparency International. "AXSES Systems Caribbean Inc., The Barbados Tourism Encyclopaedia". Barbados.org. 8 February 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2010. "Britannica Encyclopaedia: History of Barbados". Britannica.com. Retrieved 4 July 2010. Barbados the Red Land with White Teeth: Home of the Amerindians. Barbados Museum & Historical Society. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2010. A temporary exhibit which examined some of the preliminary excavations conducted at the dig site at Heywoods, St. Peter. Barbados – Geography / History. Fun 'N' Sun Publishing Inc. 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2010. Faria, Norman (17 June 2009). "Guyana Consul (Barbados) Visit to Former Amerindian Village Site in B'dos" (PDF). Guyana Chronicle. Pan-Tribal Confederacy of Indigenous Tribal Nations. p. 2. Retrieved 14 May 2010. Adjacent to the park, there is still a fresh water stream. This as a main reason the village was here. A hundred or so metres away is the sea and a further five hundred metres out across a lagoon was the outlying reef where the Atlantic swells broke on the coral in shallow waters. As an aside, the word "Ichirouganaim", said to be an Arawak word used by the Amerindians to describe Barbados, is thought to refer to the imagery of "teeth" imagery of the waves breaking on the reefs off most of southern and eastern coasts. Drewett, Peter (1991). Prehistoric Barbados. Barbados Museum and Historical Society. ISBN 1-873132-15-8. Drewett, Peter (2000). Prehistoric Settlements in the Caribbean: Fieldwork on Barbados, Tortola and the Cayman Islands. Archetype Publications Ltd. ISBN 1-873132-22-0. Carrington, Sean (2007). A~Z of Barbados Heritage. Macmillan Caribbean Publishers Limited. p. 25. ISBN 0-333-92068-6. Allsopp, Richard; Jeannette Allsopp (2003). Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. University of the West Indies Press. p. 101. ISBN 9766401454. Eltis, David; David Richardson (1997). Routes to Slavery: Direction, Ethnicity, and Mortality in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Routledge. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7146-4820-0. Retrieved 2008-11-24. Morgan, Philip D.; Sean Hawkins (2004). Black Experience and the Empire. Oxford University Press. p. 82. ISBN 0-19-926029-X. Beckles, Hilary. A History of Barbados: From Amerindian Settlement to Caribbean Single Market (Cambridge University Press, 2007 edition). UCTP "Origin of the Eagle Clan", Pan-Tribal Confederacy of Indigenous Tribal Nations. Descendants of Princess Marian. (PDF). Retrieved 19 February 2012. "Barbados". Library of Congress Country Studies. "Barbados – population". Library of Congress Country Studies. Logan, Gabi. "Geologic History of Barbados Beaches". USA Today. Retrieved 2 July 2011. Barbados lies directly over the intersection of the Caribbean plate and the South American plate in a region known as a subduction zone. Beneath the ocean floor, the South American plate slowly slides below the Caribbean plate. "Barbados Sightseeing – Animal Flower Cave". Leigh Designs. Little Bay House. 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2011. The Animal flower Cave is the island's lone accessible sea-cave and was discovered from the sea in 1780 by two English explorers. The cave's coral floor is estimated to be 400,000 to 500,000 years old and the "younger" coral section above the floor is about 126,000 years old. The dating was carried out by the German Geographical Institute, and visitors can see a "map" of the dating work in the bar and restaurant. The cave now stands some six feet above the high tide mark even though it was formed at sea level. This is because Barbados is rising about one inch per 1,000 years, which is yet another indication of the cave's age. "Average and Record Conditions at Bridgetown, Barbados". BBC Weather. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2009. "Hurricane Tomas lashes Caribbean islands". BBC News, 30 October 2010. Domestic and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Techniques in Barbados. Cep.unep.org. Retrieved 20 April 2014. Barbados, World Resources Institute Perspectives: A continuing problem and persistent threat. Barbadosadvocate.com. Retrieved 20 April 2014. "PERSPECTIVES: Squatting – a continuing problem". Barbadosadvocate.com (24 March 2008). Retrieved 20 April 2014. "Squatters get thumbs down from MP Forde". Nationnews.com (30 June 2010). Retrieved 20 April 2014. Barbados' CZMU in demand. Barbadosadvocate.com (4 February 2012). Retrieved 20 April 2014. Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, The University of the West Indies. Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles, UN-FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Caribbean Travel: Swim with the turtles in Barbados. Thestar.com (13 March 2012). Retrieved 20 April 2014. Sea Turtles – Dive Operators Association of Barbados, Barbados Blue Inc. Joseph M. Prospero, "Saharan Dust Impacts and Climate Change". Retrieved 20 April 2014. The Effects of African Dust on Coral Reefs and Human Health. Coastal.er.usgs.gov (15 April 2014). Retrieved 20 April 2014. When the Dust Settles (DAAC Study), NASA The Impact of African Dust on Childhood Asthma Morbidity in Barbados. Commprojects.jhsph.edu. Retrieved April 2014. The official Constitution of Barbados (1966) version. Chasing after an elusive union at the Wayback Machine (archived June 24, 2009). Jamaica Observer, 20 July 2003. Former PM: Caribbean doing/un-doing everything again and again. NationNews.com. 14 July 2003 BarbadosBusiness.gov.bb, The Barbados government's Regional and International affiliations "Slavery reparations: Blood money". The Economist. 5 October 2013. Staff writer (7 August 2006). "Barbados turns to China for military assistance". Caribbean360.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. World Bank – Country Groups. Retrieved 5 October 2009. "20 percent in poverty". Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012. "BBC News – Barbados profile – Overview". British Broadcasting Corporation. 22 December 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2014. "Latest Socio-Economic Indicators". Barbados Statistical Service. Retrieved 8 November 2015. "Melnyk – one of the wealthiest". NationNews.com. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2014. Morris, Roy (2 January 2006). "Builders paradise". The Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009. Industry sources are warning, however, that while the boom will bring many jobs and much income, ordinary Barbadians hoping to undertake home construction or improvement will be hard pressed to find materials or labour, given the large number of massive commercial projects with which they will have to compete. ... Construction magnate Sir Charles 'COW' Williams, agreeing that this year will be "without doubt" the biggest ever for the island as far as construction was concerned, revealed that his organisation was in the final stages of the construction of a new $6 million plant at Lears, St Michael to double its capacity to produce concrete blocks, as well as a new $2 million plant to supply ready-mixed concrete from its fleet of trucks. "The important thing to keep in mind is that the country will benefit tremendously from a massive injection of foreign exchange from people who want to own homes here," Sir Charles said. Lashley, Cathy (24 July 2009). "Barbados signs agreement with EU". gisbarbados.gov.bb. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2009. "Treaty network an advantage in securities trading". Barbados Advocate. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009. Byfield, Judith Ann-Marie; Denzer, LaRay and Morrison, Anthea (2010). Gendering the African diaspora: women, culture, and historical change in the Caribbean and Nigerian hinterland. Indiana University Press. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-0-253-22153-7. Karl Watson, "Slavery and Economy in Barbados", BBC. Last updated 17 February 2011. Nini Rodgers, "The Irish in the Caribbean 1641–1837: An Overview", Society for Irish Latin American Studies "Questioning Gypsy Identity". Singh, Rajkumar (20 January 2006). "Parliament: Act of Parliament concerning the Anglican church". Caricomlaw.org. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2010. "Baha'u'llah". Bci.org. Retrieved 4 July 2010. Best, Tony (9 April 2005) Bajan secrets to living long at the Wayback Machine (archived December 11, 2007). nationnews.com. "Unesco Institute for Statistics: Date Centre". 14 September 2007. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011. "The Education System in Barbados - Business Barbados". Business Barbados. "Crop Over Festival". 2camels.com. Retrieved 30 July 2009. Aaron Kamugisha, "Rihanna : Barbados world-gurl in global popular culture." 2015 "Ape hills polo". Ape hills Club. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015. Harris, Alan (26 July 2009). "Barbados Segway Polo team 2009 World Champions". Barbados Advocate. Retrieved 26 July 2009. Further reading Burns, Sir Alan, History of the British West Indies. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1965. Davis, David Brion. Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN 0-19-514073-7 Frere, Samuel, A Short History of Barbados: From its First Discovery and Settlement, to the End of the Year 1767. London: J. Dodsley, 1768. Gragg, Larry Dale, Englishmen transplanted: The English Colonization of Barbados, 1627–1660. Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0199253890 Hamshere, Cyril, The British In the Caribbean. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1972. Newman, Simon P. A New World of Labor: The Development of Slavery in the British Atlantic. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013. ISBN 978-0812245196 Northrup, David, ed. The Atlantic Slave Trade, Second Edition. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. ISBN 0-618-11624-9 O'Shaughnessy, Andrew Jackson, An Empire Divided: The American Revolution and the British Caribbean. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0812217322 Rogozinski, January 1999. A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present. Revised version, New York, USA. ISBN 0-8160-3811-2 Scott, Caroline 1999. Insight Guide Barbados. Discovery Channel and Insight Guides; fourth edition, Singapore. ISBN 0-88729-033-7 Videography Overview Video—Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (Courtesy of US Television). Videography on YouTube, by the Ministry of Energy and the Environment, under the Office of the Prime Minister. Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados 11 November 2011, on Where in the World is Matt Lauer?, NBC Today Show. This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "2003 edition". External links Find more about Barbados at Wikipedia's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel guide from Wikivoyage Learning resources from Wikiversity Barbados Government—official website Official webpage of Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Barbados Parliament of Barbados official website Barbados Tourism Authority—The Ministry of Tourism Central Bank of Barbados website Barbados Investment and Development Corporation Barbados Maritime Ship Registry Barbados Museum & Historical Society General information Barbados at DMOZ Wikimedia Atlas of Barbados vte Barbados articles History Timeline British Empire British West Indies Windward Islands colony Confederation riots West Indies Federation Barbados Independence Act 1966 Geography Cities, towns and villages Climate Fauna Flora Rivers Politics Administrative divisions Constitution Elections Foreign relations Government Cabinet Ministries and agencies Governor-General Judiciary Law Military Monarchy Parliament House of Assembly Senate Police Political parties Prime Minister Economy Agriculture Central Bank Barbadian dollar (currency) Stock exchange Rum Telecommunications Tourism Transport Water Society Demographics Education Ethnic groups Human rights LGBT Language Religion Culture Anthem Cuisine Crop Over Flag Landship Media Music Public holidays Sports OutlineIndex Category Portal WikiProject Articles relating to Barbados Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 13°10′N 59°32′W (Bridgetown) vte Countries and dependencies of North America Sovereign states Entire Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama St. Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States In part Colombia San Andrés and Providencia France  Guadeloupe Martinique Netherlands  Bonaire Saba Sint Eustatius Venezuela Federal Dependencies Nueva Esparta

Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Clipperton Island St. Barthélemy St. Martin St. Pierre and Miquelon Netherlands Aruba Curaçao Sint Maarten United Kingdom Anguilla Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Montserrat Turks and Caicos Islands United States Navassa Island Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands International membership and history vte Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Sovereign states (Members) Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Rwanda St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda United Kingdom Vanuatu Zambia Dependencies of Members Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australian Antarctic Territory Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Coral Sea Islands Heard Island and McDonald Islands Norfolk Island New Zealand Cook Islands Niue Ross Dependency Tokelau United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey Montserrat Pitcairn Islands St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Source: Commonwealth Secretariat - Member States vte Organization of American States (OAS) Members Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Barbados Brazil Belize Bahamas Bolivia Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines St. Kitts and Nevis Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela Suspended Cuba Organization Secretariat for Political Affairs Secretariat for Multidimensional Security General Assembly Inter-American Commission of Women Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Inter-American Court of Human Rights Pan American Union Building Politics Charter Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man American Convention on Human Rights Pan-American Conference Summits of the Americas Americas Pan American Sports Organization vte Commonwealth realms and dominions Current Antigua and Barbuda (monarchy) Australia (monarchy) Bahamas (monarchy) Barbados (monarchy) Belize (monarchy) Canada (monarchy) Grenada (monarchy) Jamaica (monarchy) Realm of New Zealand Cook Islands New Zealand Niue Papua New Guinea (monarchy) St. Kitts and Nevis (monarchy) St. Lucia (monarchy) St. Vincent and the Grenadines (monarchy) Solomon Islands (monarchy) Tuvalu (monarchy) United Kingdom (monarchy) Former Ceylon Fiji (monarchy) The Gambia Ghana Guyana India1 Ireland1 (monarchy) Kenya Malawi Malta Mauritius Newfoundland2 Nigeria Pakistan Rhodesia3 Sierra Leone South Africa (monarchy) Tanganyika Trinidad and Tobago Uganda 1 Dominion, became republic before adoption of the term "realm" 2 Dominion, never ratified Statute of Westminster 1931, London-based external government 1934–1949, annexed by Canada in 1949 3 Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence as a realm in 1965, but this was not recognised internationally. Declared itself a republic in 1970. vte Monarchies List of current sovereign monarchs List of current constituent monarchs By continent Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania By country Antigua and Barbuda Andorra Australia The Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belize Belgium Bhutan Brunei Cambodia Canada Denmark (Faroe Islands, Greenland) Grenada Jamaica Japan Jordan Kuwait Lesotho Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Monaco Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Oman Papua New Guinea Qatar Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saudi Arabia Solomon Islands Spain Swaziland Sweden Thailand Tonga Tuvalu United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Vatican City By type Absolute Constitutional Diarchy Elective Federal Hereditary Italics indicate Commonwealth realms, which each share the same person as Queen. vte Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat (Secretary-General) Members Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas1 Barbados Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Haiti1 Jamaica Montserrat2 St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago

Associate members Anguilla Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Observers Aruba Colombia Curaçao Dominican Republic Mexico Puerto Rico Sint Maarten Venezuela Institutions Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) Court of Justice (CCJ) Disaster Emergency Management (CDEMA) Examinations Council (CXC) Meteorological Institute (CMI) Meteorological Organisation (CMO) Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Single Market and Economy (CSME) Related organizations CARIFORUM Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) 1 Member of the Community but not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) 2 British overseas territory awaiting entrustment to join the CSME vte Territories of the British Empire and the United Kingdom Legend Current territory Former territory * Now a Commonwealth realm Now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Europe 1708–1757 Minorca Since 1713 Gibraltar 1763–1782 Minorca 1798–1802 Minorca 1800–1813 Malta (Protectorate) 1813–1964 Malta (Colony) 1807–1890 Heligoland 1809–1864 Ionian Islands 1878–1960 Cyprus 1921–1937 Irish Free State North America 17th century and before	18th century	19th and 20th century 1579 New Albion 1583–1907 Newfoundland 1605–1979 *Saint Lucia 1607–1776 Virginia Since 1619 Bermuda 1620–1691 Plymouth Colony 1623–1883 Saint Kitts *(Saint Kitts & Nevis) 1624–1966 *Barbados 1625–1650 Saint Croix 1627–1979 *Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1628–1883 Nevis *(Saint Kitts & Nevis) 1629–1691 Massachusetts Bay Colony 1632–1776 Maryland since 1632 Montserrat 1632–1860 Antigua *(Antigua & Barbuda) 1636–1776 Connecticut 1636–1776 Rhode Island 1637–1662 New Haven Colony 1643–1860 Bay Islands Since 1650 Anguilla 1655–1850 Mosquito Coast (protectorate) 1655–1962 *Jamaica 1663–1712 Carolina 1664–1776 New York 1665–1674 and 1702–1776 New Jersey Since 1666 British Virgin Islands Since 1670 Cayman Islands 1670–1973 *Bahamas 1670–1870 Rupert's Land 1671–1816 Leeward Islands 1674–1702 East Jersey 1674–1702 West Jersey 1680–1776 New Hampshire 1681–1776 Pennsylvania 1686–1689 Dominion of New England 1691–1776 Massachusetts 1701–1776 Delaware 1712–1776 North Carolina 1712–1776 South Carolina 1713–1867 Nova Scotia 1733–1776 Georgia 1754–1820 Cape Breton Island 1762–1974 *Grenada 1763–1978 Dominica 1763–1873 Prince Edward Island 1763–1791 Quebec 1763–1783 East Florida 1763–1783 West Florida 1784–1867 New Brunswick 1791–1841 Lower Canada 1791–1841 Upper Canada Since 1799 Turks and Caicos Islands 1818–1846 Columbia District/Oregon Country1 1833–1960 Windward Islands 1833–1960 Leeward Islands 1841–1867 Province of Canada 1849–1866 Vancouver Island 1853–1863 Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands 1858–1866 British Columbia 1859–1870 North-Western Territory 1860–1981 *British Antigua and Barbuda 1862–1863 Stikine Territory 1866–1871 Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1867–1931 *Dominion of Canada2 1871–1964 British Honduras (*Belize) 1882–1983 *Saint Kitts and Nevis 1889–1962 Trinidad and Tobago 1907–1949 Dominion of Newfoundland3 1958–1962 West Indies Federation 1. Occupied jointly with the United States. 2. In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self-government through the Statute of Westminster. See Canada's name. 3. Gave up self-rule in 1934, but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949. South America 1651–1667 Willoughbyland (Suriname) 1670–1688 Saint Andrew and Providence Islands4 1831–1966 British Guiana (Guyana) Since 1833 Falkland Islands5 Since 1908 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands5 4. Now the San Andrés y Providencia Department of Colombia. 5. Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April–June 1982. Africa 17th and 18th centuries	19th century	20th century Since 1658 Saint Helena14 1792–1961 Sierra Leone 1795–1803 Cape Colony Since 1815 Ascension Island14 Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha14 1806–1910 Cape Colony 1807–1808 Madeira 1810–1968 Mauritius 1816–1965 The Gambia 1856–1910 Natal 1868–1966 Basutoland (Lesotho) 1874–1957 Gold Coast (Ghana) 1882–1922 Egypt 1884–1966 Bechuanaland (Botswana) 1884–1960 British Somaliland 1887–1897 Zululand 1890–1962 Uganda 1890–1963 Zanzibar (Tanzania) 1891–1964 Nyasaland (Malawi) 1891–1907 British Central Africa Protectorate 1893–1968 Swaziland 1895–1920 East Africa Protectorate 1899–1956 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 1900–1914 Northern Nigeria 1900–1914 Southern Nigeria 1900–1910 Orange River Colony 1900–1910 Transvaal Colony 1906–1954 Nigeria Colony 1910–1931 South Africa 1914–1954 Nigeria Colony and Protectorate 1915–1931 South West Africa (Namibia) 1919–1960 Cameroons (Cameroon)6 1920–1963 Kenya 1922–1961 Tanganyika (Tanzania)6 1923–1965 Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)7 1924–1964 Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) 1954–1960 Nigeria 1979–1980 Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)7 6. League of Nations mandate. 7. Self-governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 (as Rhodesia) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003. Asia 17th and 18th century	19th century	20th century 1685–1824 Bencoolen (Sumatra) 1702–1705 Pulo Condore 1757–1947 Bengal (West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh) 1762–1764 Manila and Cavite 1786–1946 Penang (Malaysia) 1795–1948 Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1796–1965 Maldives 1812–1824 Banka (Sumatra) and Billiton (Sumatra) 1819–1826 British Malaya (West Malaysia and Singapore) 1826–1946 Straits Settlements (Malaysia and Singapore) 1839–1967 Colony of Aden 1839–1842 Afghanistan 1841–1997 Hong Kong 1841–1946 Kingdom of Sarawak (Malaysia) 1848–1946 Labuan (Malaysia) 1858–1947 British India (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Burma) 1874–1963 British Borneo (East Malaysia and Brunei) 1879–1919 Afghanistan (protectorate) 1882–1963 British North Borneo (Malaysia) 1885–1946 Unfederated Malay States 1888–1984 Sultanate of Brunei 1891–1971 Muscat and Oman protectorate 1892–1971 Trucial States 1895–1946 Federated Malay States 1898–1930 Weihai Garrison 1878–1960 Cyprus 1907–1949 Bhutan (protectorate) 1918–1961 Kuwait protectorate 1920–1932 Iraq8 1921–1946 Transjordan8 1923–1948 Palestine8 1945–1946 South Vietnam 1946–1963 North Borneo (Malaysia) 1946–1963 Sarawak (Malaysia) 1946–1963 Singapore 1946–1948 Malayan Union 1948–1957 Federation of Malaya (Malaysia) Since 1960 Akrotiri and Dhekelia (before as part of Cyprus) Since 1965 British Indian Ocean Territory (before as part of Mauritius and the Seychelles) 8 League of Nations mandate. Iraq's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty Oceania 18th and 19th centuries	20th century 1788–1901 New South Wales 1803–1901 Van Diemen's Land/Tasmania 1807–1863 Auckland Islands9 1824–1980 New Hebrides (Vanuatu) 1824–1901 Queensland 1829–1901 Swan River Colony/Western Australia 1836–1901 South Australia since 1838 Pitcairn Islands 1841–1907 Colony of New Zealand 1851–1901 Victoria 1874–1970 Fiji10 1877–1976 British Western Pacific Territories 1884–1949 Territory of Papua 1888–1901 Cook Islands9 1889–1948 Union Islands (Tokelau)9 1892–1979 Gilbert and Ellice Islands11 1893–1978 British Solomon Islands12 1900–1970 Tonga (protected state) 1900–1974 Niue9 1901–1942 *Commonwealth of Australia 1907–1953 *Dominion of New Zealand 1919–1942 Nauru 1945–1968 Nauru 1919–1949 Territory of New Guinea 1949–1975 Territory of Papua and New Guinea13 9. Now part of the *Realm of New Zealand. 10. Suspended member. 11. Now Kiribati and *Tuvalu. 12. Now the *Solomon Islands. 13. Now *Papua New Guinea. Antarctica and South Atlantic Since 1658 Saint Helena14 Since 1815 Ascension Island14 Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha14 Since 1908 British Antarctic Territory15 1841–1933 Australian Antarctic Territory (transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia) 1841–1947 Ross Dependency (transferred to the Realm of New Zealand) 14. Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; Ascension Island (1922–) and Tristan da Cunha (1938–) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena. 15. Both claimed in 1908; territories formed in 1962 (British Antarctic Territory) and 1985 (South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands). vte Portuguese overseas empire North Africa 15th century

1415–1640	Ceuta 1458–1550	Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550	Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662	Tangier 1485–1550	Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487–16th century 	Ouadane 1488–1541	Safim (Safi) 1489	Graciosa 16th century

1505–1541 	Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525 	Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525 	Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769 	Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541 	Azamor (Azemmour) 1515	São João da Mamora (Mehdya) 1577–1589 	Arzila (Asilah)

Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century

1455–1633	Anguim 1462–1975	Cape Verde 1470–1975	São Tomé1 1471–1975	Príncipe1 1474–1778	Annobón 1478–1778	Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637	Elmina (São Jorge da Mina) 1482–1642	Portuguese Gold Coast 1508–15472 	Madagascar3 1498–1540	Mascarene Islands 16th century

1500–1630 	Malindi 1501–1975 	Portuguese Mozambique 1502–1659 	Saint Helena 1503–1698 	Zanzibar 1505–1512 	Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511 	Socotra 1557–1578 	Accra 1575–1975 	Portuguese Angola 1588–1974 	Cacheu4 1593–1698 	Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century

1645–1888 	Ziguinchor 1680–1961 	São João Baptista de Ajudá 1687–1974 	Bissau4 18th century

1728–1729 	Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975 	Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century

1879–1974 	Portuguese Guinea 1885–1975 	Portuguese Congo 1 Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. 2 Or 1600. 3 A factory (Anosy Region) and small temporary coastal bases. 4 Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Southwest Asia 16th century

1506–1615	Gamru (Bandar Abbas) 1507–1643	Sohar 1515–1622	Hormuz (Ormus) 1515–1648	Quriyat 1515–?	Qalhat 1515–1650	Muscat 1515?–?	Barka 1515–1633?	Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602	Bahrain (Muharraq • Manama) 1521–1529?	Qatif 1521?–1551? 	Tarut Island 1550–1551	Qatif 1588–1648	Matrah 17th century

1620–?	Khor Fakkan 1621?–?	As Sib 1621–1622 	Qeshm 1623–?	Khasab 1623–?	Libedia 1624–?	Kalba 1624–?	Madha 1624–1648 	Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?–?	Bandar-e Kong Indian subcontinent 15th century

1498–1545 	Laccadive Islands (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India

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Jupiter, also Jove (Latin: Iuppiter [ˈjʊppɪtɛr], gen. Iovis [ˈjɔwɪs]), is the god of sky and thunder and king of the gods in Ancient Roman religion and mythology. Jupiter was the chief deity of Roman state religion throughout the Republican and Imperial eras, until Christianity became the dominant religion of the Empire. In Roman mythology, he negotiates with Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, to establish principles of Roman religion such as sacrifice.

Jupiter is usually thought to have originated as a sky god. His identifying implement is the thunderbolt and his primary sacred animal is the eagle,[1] which held precedence over other birds in the taking of auspices[2] and became one of the most common symbols of the Roman army (see Aquila). The two emblems were often combined to represent the god in the form of an eagle holding in its claws a thunderbolt, frequently seen on Greek and Roman coins.[3] As the sky-god, he was a divine witness to oaths, the sacred trust on which justice and good government depend. Many of his functions were focused on the Capitoline Hill, where the citadel was located. He was the chief deity of the early Capitoline Triad with Mars and Quirinus.[4] In the later Capitoline Triad, he was the central guardian of the state with Juno and Minerva. His sacred tree was the oak.

The Romans regarded Jupiter as the equivalent of the Greek Zeus,[5] and in Latin literature and Roman art, the myths and iconography of Zeus are adapted under the name Iuppiter. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Jupiter was the brother of Neptune and Pluto. Each presided over one of the three realms of the universe: sky, the waters, and the underworld. The Italic Diespiter was also a sky god who manifested himself in the daylight, usually but not always identified with Jupiter