10 facts
about Barbados
Barbados has the third oldest parliament
in the world, with uninterrupted
parliamentary governance since 1639.
The first settlement in Barbados,
Holetown, was originally named
Jamestown, after its benefactor, King
James I of England. It acquired the name
Holetown due to the offloading and
cleaning of ships in the small channel
located within the immediate vicinity of
the town. These tasks left the area in
an untidy and smelly condition, thus the
Jamestown area became referred to as
‘the Hole’, which evolved into Holetown,
as it is known today.
Barbados exports $57m of rum annually
across the world.
70
Singing superstar Rihanna was born
in Saint Michael, Barbados on
February 20, 1988.
The name Barbados is derived from
the Bearded Fig Trees once found in
abundance on the island. The Portuguese
sighted Barbados in 1536 when en route
to Brazil and referred to the island as Los
Barbados or the Bearded Ones.