BARBADOS - information

GENERAL INFORMATION:

AREA: 430 sq. km (166 sq. mls.). SIZE: 14 miles wide and 21 miles long. CLIMATE: Warm and sunny all year  POPULATION: Approximately 260,000. CAPITAL: Bridgetown, in the parish of St. Michael. RELIGION: Christian.  ELECTRIC CURRENT: 110 Volts  MEDICAL EMERGENCY:  Queen Elizabeth Hospital

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: English. CURRENCY: The BDS $ ECONOMY: Industry: Tourism, fishing, food processing. TIME: One (1) Hour ahead of Standard US Time. Four (4) behind the UK in winter, five (5) behind in Summer. There is no daylight saving time in Barbados

PEOPLE & DIALECT:
 

• Barbados has a resident population of 260,000 , which includes a wonderful mixture of races, colours and creeds. Barbados' greatest asset is its friendly, peaceful people.
• Bajans have a history of long ingrained Christian principles.
• The island's excellent educational system has produced a 99% literacy rate - one of the highest in the world.
• Barbados boasts a skilled, well educated and motivated labour force of over 125,000.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE English mixed with a broad Bajan dialect.
 

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DRESS CODE
 

• Bring clothes suitable for the tropics.
• Casual slacks and shorts, lightweight sports wear for everyday use.
• Casual elegance, light cotton dresses and light jackets, for formal wear.
• Beachwear should include sunglasses, sunscreen and beach footwear.

Caribbean Cricket

GOVERNMENT:

1. Barbados has had representative government since 1939, making it the third oldest parliament in the world. Barbados became an independent country in 1966.
2. All political parties are 'middle of the road', supportive of the free enterprise system. Foreign investment is actively encouraged in the industrial sector, resulting in a progressive modern economy.
3. Judicial, political and administrative institutions are closely modelled on the British system. Barbados is a peaceful land, successfully ruled by a stable government, committed to the rule of law.

CLIMATE
It is warm and sunny all year round with an average daytime high of 75 - 85 ^o F. Warm days with cool winds and comfortable nights. This is the closest to perfection you are going to find!
The prevailing north east trade winds blow steadily so that although it is bright and sunny, it is not unbearably hot. The dry season lasts from January to June, but never results in a desert!
It rains mostly in the summer and a good tropical rainfall is refreshing and much needed. Rain is usually followed quickly by sunny skies and within no time at all life is back to normal! Tropical rainstorms sometimes occur in the hurricane season which runs from June to October but hurricanes usually avoid Barbados. They come off the African Coast and head to the Caribbean, swinging North about 100 miles from Barbados. The pattern is reasonably consistent as hurricanes tend to bounce from one land mass to the next and Barbados is slightly out on its own to the East of the island chain. This does not of course make us immune, but the last time Barbados suffered a direct hit was in 1955.
 
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GEOGRAPHY:

A 21 mile x 14 mile coral island. The West and South coasts are fringed with magnificent white sand beaches and swaying palm trees, lapped by the crystal clear, calm Caribbean sea.


















To the north the Atlantic Ocean crashes against rugged cliffs, more reminiscent of Cornwall than Barbados!










The East Coast is also pounded by the wild Atlantic, but here you will find wide sweeping beaches. Bathing here can be dangerous, other than in rock pools, but the surfing at the world renowned Soupbowl is exciting for both participants and spectators.


















The fertile interior of the island is swathed with rolling sugar cane but the mountainous Scotland district in the north bears a great resemblance to its namesake.




This tiny island, no bigger than the Isle of Wight is so diverse that a visitor can travel around on its network of roads for hours enjoying the varied sights.

MUSIC Music is the blood that flows through the veins of this rhythmical island. Barbados throbs with musical vibration wherever you go. Be warned it is infectious and seriously addictive!
Calypso rhythms can be traced back to the arrival of the first African slaves to Barbados and other Caribbean islands in the seventeenth century. Calypso was developed in Trinidad and it combines the skills of story-telling, usually with a humorous dig at local social and political events. There is an imaginative use of creative instrumentation, resulting in it's unique sound and flavour. This music has been influenced by European, North American and other Caribbean cultures. Calypso is a unique form of music and an important part of Barbados' musical culture and it's presentation has become highly organized over the years since the revival of the Crop Over Festival in 1974. Today calypso is an integral part of the festival, with the Pic-O-De-Crop Calypso Competition being one of the most popular events. During the Crop Over season, numerous calypso tents perform several times weekly and performers compete for a place in the annual Calypso Monarch competition. The youth of Barbados are now heavily involved in calypso and based on their talent and enthusiasm the future of calypso in Barbados is secure. The Junior Calypso Monarch competition, serves as an excellent training ground for the calypsonians of the future.

Jamaican reggae and Trinidadian soca are also very popular in Barbados, a fusion of these two types of music was always likely. This fusion came in the form of ragga-socca a rhythm that is faster than reggae but slower than up-tempo soca. Ringbang is a union of all the varied types of Caribbean music, a focus is on the rhythm rather than the melody. Since it's creation in 1994, ringbang has grown in popularity throughout the Caribbean and especially in Barbados.
 
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FOOD AND DRINK Bajan food is freshly cooked, tasty and hot. Bajans are not big meat eaters but love chicken and fresh fish. Highly seasoned and flavoursome. Nothing like the British fish and chips!

For vegetables you'll find an assorted delight of sweet potato, peas served with rice, yams and cassava, edoes, christophene and plantain. As well as all the traditional vegetables such as runner beans and cauliflower.
The fruit is fresh and ripened naturally under the warm Caribbean sun, they include bananas, shaddocks, grapefruit, mangoes and pawpaws. Local legend has it that the grapefruit, a hybrid of shaddock and orange, was first found in this land. You'll find passion fruit, guavas and sugar apples as well as an abundance of imported fruit such as apples and pears, grapes and fine plums all available on the grocery shelves and in the fruit stalls. Lemons and green limes are all grown locally especially for your Rum Punch and Gin and Tonic!
Try out the Bajan favourite FRIED FLYING FISH but remember, anyone who partakes must return to our lovely land for more! Wash this down with some Rum Punch but be warned its got a kick and a punch. You'll party all night or sleep sweetly after lunch !
 
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  HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE: Due to recent archaeological discoveries of artifacts and remains at the site of Port St. Charles, the history of Barbados is being rewritten and now points to settlement some time around 1623 B.C. The first indigenous people were Amerindians who arrived here from Venezuela. They crossed this formidable passage of swift flowing water and cross currents paddling simple dugout canoes. But they came, bringing with them their families and villages, they were adventurers, descendants of the first people who travelled across the Alaska land bridge, down through Canada and the Americas to the South.
They settled along the coast of Barbados, leaving behind just a few clues, a hint of evidence for the archaeologist to date and fantasize about. Fragments of tools made of shell, utensils, refuse and burial places only serve to deepen the mystery of their time on this island.
 

Amerindian Civilization.
The Arawaks were short, olive skinned people. They bandaged their foreheads during infancy to slope it into a point. This, along with black and white paint was considered attractive and fashionable! The chiefs and leaders of the tribe wore rings made of copper and gold alloys and nose plugs. They were an agricultural people and grew produce such as cassava, corn, cotton, papaw, guava and peanuts. The cotton was woven and used for armbands and hammocks. The Arawaks were keen fishermen, using nets, harpoons, and hooks, to make their catches.

1200 Carib Indians
In 1200, the Arawaks were defeated by the Caribs, a taller and stronger Amerindian tribe. They were a warlike and savage people who had cannibal tendencies! They are reported to have barbecued their captives and washed them down with cassava beer. In the History of Barbados, for example, it is reported that Caribs ate an entire French crew in 1596. They were incredibly accurate with the bow & arrow and used powerful poison to paralyse their prey (History of Barbados).

Portuguese
The Portuguese came to Barbados en route to Brazil. Pedro a Campos named the island Los Barbados (bearded ones). It was so named, after the islands bearded fig trees.

1492 Spanish
In 1492 the Spanish conquered and enslaved the Caribs. This, and the highly contagious European diseases smallpox and tuberculosis, ended the Caribs' rule of this island. The Spanish then left Barbados, preferring to settle the larger Caribbean islands, leaving the island open for anyone who wanted to colonize it.

1625 - 1644 - English Colonization
The first English ship arrived on May 14th 1625 under the command of Captain John Powell who claimed the island on behalf of King James I.
On February 17th 1627, Captain Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves to occupy and settle the island, they landed at Holetown formerly known as James Town. English gentry were allocated land which was deforested to make way for tobacco and cotton plantations. During the 1630's sugar cane was introduced. The production of sugar, tobacco and cotton was heavily reliant on indentured servants. White civilians who wanted to emigrate overseas could do so by signing an agreement to serve a plantation owner in Barbados for a period of 5 or 7 years. To meet the labour demands, servants were also derived from kidnapping and convicted criminals were shipped over. Thus the saying to be 'Barbadiand' arose. Descendants of the white slaves and indentured labour force still live in Barbados, they live amongst the black population in the Scotland District. They remain predominantly poor.

1644 - 1700 - Sugar and Slavery
A potential market was formed between the Dutch Merchants, who were to supply Barbados with their requirements of forced labour from West Africa. The slaves came from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Cameroon. Many slaves did not survive the middle passage from Africa, but many thousands reached their destination.



There were several natural disasters in the late 1600's, including the locust plague of 1663, the Bridgetown fire and a major hurricane in 1667. Drought in 1668 and excessive rain in 1669 added to the sugar planter's financial problems. By 1720 Barbados no longer had the monopoly within the sugar industry having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica.

1807 - 1838 - Abolition, rebellion and emancipation

Slavery was abolished in 1834. It was followed by a 4 year apprenticeship period where free men continued to work a 45 hour week without pay in exchange for living in the tiny huts provided by the plantation owners. Freedom from slavery was celebrated in 1838 at the end of the apprentice period with over 70,000 Barbadians of African decent taking to the streets singing folk songs.
"Lick an Lock-up Dun Wid, Hurray fuh Jin-Jin (Queen Victoria).
De Queen come from England to set we free
Now Lick an Lock-up Dun Wid, Hurray fuh Jin-Jin "



Bridgetown 1880

Roebuck Street Roebuck Street began as a track in 1655 there was a gully at its northern end and a bridge was built over it this was called the Causeway. A popular tavern was built there by a Mr. Noell a former London merchant between 1672 and 1679 the Roebuck was a favourite meeting place of the Barbados Council and the General Assemble.

In the nineteenth century, Roebuck Street became the focus of the provision trade was a hive of activity, marked by a constant flow of mule-drawn carts and heavy laden two wheeled carts drawn by men known as 'Spiders'....'Bygone Barbados'.

Lower Broad Street 1872 This photograph shows one of the earliest photographic studios on the island. It was in this studio that Mr. Cooper introduced the glass plate negative process melting down solid silver five shilling pieces to obtain the nitrate of silver to make the light sensitive solution...'Bygone Barbados'.

The statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson In this picture the celebratory arches around Lord Nelson bear his last words."Thank God I have done my duty" On the 20th of December in 1805 the s reached Barbados of Admiral Nelsons great victory off the Cape of Trafalgar off the southern coast of Spain.it was the complete victory of the British it ensured British supremacy throughout the remainder of the Napoleonic war, which was crucial for the trade between Britain and her colonies on the other side of the Atlantic, in fact it was their lifeblood. Barbadians for their part were grateful not to become a French West Indian Colony.

On Sunday 8th January 1806 a memorial service was held in the St. Michael's Parish Church now the Cathedral. Within days a subscription list was opened to raise funds for a memorial statue by 25th February £2324 2s 6d had been subscribed by people of all walks of life.
The statue was cast in bronze by Sir Richard Westmacott in England and erected on 22nd March 1813 with great pomp and ceremony.
Years later, in 1840 the British began to erect their own monument to Nelson in London's Trafalgar Square.

Swan Street The larger streets of Bridgetown were designed by John Swann, one of Governor Wolverstone's captains who was also a surveyor. According to tradition Swan Street was named after him. Most of the early Sephardic Jewish population lived in Swan Street above the stores and the Street became known as 'Jew Street'.
The street was characterised by overhanging balconies, from which in the cool of the evening families could engage their neighbours in conversation or listen to the repartee in the street below..' Bygone Barbados'.

The Montefiore Fountain The eastern end of Broad Street was known as the Green and the western end as the Lower Green. This fountain situated in the Lower Green was given by the Jewish business man Mr. Montefiore in memory of his father in 1864. The fountain is made in the Neo Gothic decorative style and the gift of the fountain would have been quite in keeping with contemporary stories of the Jewish community at this time in Barbados: they are recorded as being charitable and pious and a model of the sanctity of family life.

Around 1628 approximately 300 Dutch Jews, escaping religious persecution in Recife, Brazil, settled in Barbados. The Sepharic Jews were mostly merchants. Some had ships for trading but the most important contribution they made to the island was the fact that having come from Brazil they had the knowledge of the culture of sugar cane and sugar manufacturing. They were able to give the Barbadian planters valuable help and instruction as they fought to establish sugar on the island. Following extended civil rights in 1831 the Jews were given the right to vote or be elected as members of the House of Assembly. By then they had built a reputation for being successful in business and commerce
In the Jewish cemetery there are names like Massiah, Lindo, DeCosta , Games, Mordecai, Henriques, and Montefiore recorded and are now well know and success business names throughout the West Indies.

It took the second World War and the Holocaust to send the second wave of Jews to Barbados, Mr. Altman and other Ashkinazi Jews, from northern Europe have been a great asset to the island. The fountain was moved close to the Synagogue which has been restored in every detail as befits one of the oldest Synagogues in the Western Hemisphere.

The Synagogue 1908 Synagogue Nihei Israel (Scattered of Israel) represents the coming and going of Barbadian Jewry since the early settlement.
As early as 1628, one Abraham Jacobs was writing to the Earl of Carlisle from Barbados The Synagogue and cemetery on Synagogue Lane were established in 1654 and public worship allowed that year three years ahead of London.... .Bygone Barbados'.

The Jewish Synagogue built in 1654 was a beautiful building, an impressive spectacle surrounded by five cemeteries and large overhanging trees. The original building was destroyed by 'the great' hurricane of 1831 and the present building was erected in 1833. In the early 1900's the practicing Jewish community dwindled, the building fell into disrepair and was sold in 1929. In the 1980s, after the building had become derelict, the local Jewish community launched a restoration programme to rejuvenate their synagogue. With its beautiful Gothic arches and splendid interior it is now a Barbados National Trust protected building and an active synagogue. Visitors are welcome.

The Careenage In this picture the is full of schooners used for the inter island trade. In the foreground lighter-men row their heavy lighters (a misnomer if ever there was one) to bring cargo out of the ships in Carlisle Bay and to ferry out Barbadian cargo. These flat bottom boats were made of thick planks and were of two sizes, some of 20 and others of 30 tons laden. They took great strength and skill to manoeuvre.

Careening

The Careenage was formed by the lower reaches of the Constitution River, the name comes from the word 'careen' which means to turn a ship onto her side for repairs. This was done by attaching weights to the mask and pulling the ship over. Once on her side the ship was cleaned of moss and barnacles. If it had been sailing to British Guyana or some other similar area its wooden bottom would also be infested by a worm the size of a man's forefinger and with a head like an auger these worms were known as Toredos and would have to be removed... 'Bygone Barbados'





Puncheons on the Wharf 1907 This photograph shows casks or barrels of sugar, molasses and rum awaiting shipment and the hive of activity in Bridgetown especially around the Wharf. Hogshead and Puncheons were 100 gallons and barrels were half that size. All these were made by coopers and many of the large plantations had their own coopers. There were cooperage yards in and around Bridgetown where the smaller plantations could buy puncheons. These casks were made of imported wood and bound with metal bands. As they weighed 600 pounds each rolling them was a lot easier than lifting them. In the busy streets of Bridgetown they were placed on a flimsy looking two wheeled cart called a 'spider'. It took two men to pull a spider and one with some skill to navigate!
Bygone Barbados






The Chamberlain Swing Bridge 1905 Barbadians are celebrating a bank holiday to celebrate the tercentenary anniversary of the claiming of Barbados for King James 1. In their enthusiasm they celebrated 20 years too early due to misinformation widely circulated regarding the date of settlement.'Bygone Barbados'.








The Main Guard, Garrison 1913 The Garrison today...
In 1785 the British Government decided that Barbados should be its headquarters and construction of the British Garrison started in 1789, after the purchase of some 64 acres of land. It was described in its day as having one of the finest parade grounds in the West Indies. Today some of the existing buildings are still military barracks, housing the Barbados Defence Force. The Garrison functioned for 126 years, leaving behind a legacy of buildings, artillery, and artefacts.

The Main Guard or central focus of the Garrison. Built in 1804 with a distinctive copula tower it bears the arms of King William IV and a fine clock made by Dwerri and Carter in London. The Main Guard was used among other things for court martial with prisoners being kept in the guardhouse. Behind the Main Guard were the stables and the Quartermaster Generals store houses.
This tower bears the date of 1803 and is now the home of the Barbados Legion. Discover the Barbados Cannon Collection, this is one of the finest cannon collections in the world. It is one of two collections that includes a gun with Cromwell's Republican Arms. After his death, all of Cromwell's possessions were destroyed and the Barbados cannon with his crest is the only one known to ever be found on land! Some of these famous cannons can be seen in front of the Main Guard facing the race track. The British troops withdrew in 1905-06 and were replaced by the Barbados Volunteer Force.



The Stone Barracks 1913 At the end of the eighteenth century, which included the French Revolution in 1789 and the war with Revolutionary France, the Caribbean was the centre of operations and Barbados was at the centre of it all, providing the base for attacks on islands held by the enemy. All the troops in Barbados were ready for such expeditions or reserved as reinforcements for the defence of other British colonies if necessary. In spite of all this the Garrison failed to provide adequate housing for the officers and men. They were often under canvas in the Brittons Hill and Dayrells Road area sometimes reports had it that they were as far away as Oistins and Speightstown. A private in the Royal Scots Fusiliers reported that he had been sent into a mountainous area called Scotland!...'Bygone Barbados'




The Bridgetown Railway Terminus The only way to Bathsheba with heavy luggage was by train prior to that it was a long and hazardous journey by horse or mule cart. Mr E. A. Stoute, a local historian, remarked that Barbadians use to joke that the railway was mentioned in the Bible as 'one of the creeping things that crawls on the face of the earth'. At one spot, with a severe gradient, students from a nearby theological college had to come out to push the train. The Rule Book was also basic ' If the engine be defected the sooner the train be stopped the better!' It was a rule of thumb that, in times of difficulty, the third class passengers got out and pushed, the second class passengers got out and walked along side and the first class passengers remained seated, no doubt offering verbal solace to the lower ranked passengers....'Bygone Barbados'


Train-spotting Children sit on the sleepers of the railway line. There was no danger as trains could be seem from a great distance and the driver was keen to use his whistle as often as possible. During the 1920's inadequate maintenance standards continued, the consultant engineers 'Law and Connell' documented the mismanagement of resources... unsafe bridges, a depleting stock of spares, improper use or lack of use of breaks on the locomotives. In Bridgetown on a few occasions the breaks failed completely and the train burst through the Triangle and started to go down the Wharf. This problem was soon solved by removing some of the track, heating the remaining line and turning them up in the air to a height of two foot. When the breaks failed this acted as a buffer of sorts!...'Bygone Barbados'.


A full train at Tent Bay

In this picture two white planters in white drill and cork hats watch the approaching train, always considered to be something of an event. The trip from Bridgetown to Bellplaine was 25 miles and took 2 hours. The train left Bridgetown daily at 4.30 pm except on Sundays when it departed at 7.40 am. On Wednesday there was an extra train so a round trip was possible on Sundays and Wednesdays. The first class one way cost 60c and the third class 24c. Mr Blenman was the ticket collector.....'Bygone Barbados'
For further information on Tent Bay Click here!



The Crane Hotel opened in July 1886, it was built on a cliff with sweeping views of the Atlantic, in what has been a small port since 1770. A small inlet through the reef known as Cobblers Rocks, led to the small port which had a crane for unloading goods; thus gave the Crane its name. Previously it had been a large private residence called Marine Villa, believed to have been built in the late eighteenth century. It was used throughout the nineteenth century as a bay house. In 1886 it was bought by Mr. Donald Simpsun & Co, enlarged and turned into a Hotel. This was well timed as the railway was opened in 1883 and made it accessible to holiday makes both local and from abroad.'Bygone Barbados'.


A day at the races Race day in Barbados eighty years ago and the Savannah is packed with spectators. Races were an eagerly anticipated event in an island starved of entertainment and from early morning streams of people would assemble at the Savannah, walking in from outlying country districts...'Bygone Barbados'

Racing is as popular today as then and the Savannah remains the home of the Barbados Turf Club.



Poor Whites 1880

Barbados unlike its English speaking neighbours has always had a large 'poor white' population. It averaged about 80% of the white population, so much for the myth that all white settlers were rich planters or merchants or slave owners. In the picture the white woman and child sit outside their hovel outside of Chalky Mount, in the Scotland district. The hovel is thatched with dry cane. It is probable that the woman and child were descendents of servants brought out from England by early settlers, or freed indenture servants bought after settlement. One thing is certain, during indenture or slavery, accommodation on a plantation would have been superior to this hut, as many planters provided their labourers with stone-built huts after 1780.

The indentured labourers were people who sold or contracted themselves into slavery for three to seven years or were people who had displeased the English government on religious or political grounds.'Bygone Barbados'




Barbadian Wedding 1920

Here is a photograph of a wedding day. The entire wedding party is beautifully turned out, many of the attendants would have come from 'away' probably America and undoubtedly a lot of saving went into the celebration. All Barbadians love cloths, food and drink and entertainment. They observe the rites of passage through life in meticulous detail...'Bygone Barbados'.




1961-1966 Independence

Barbados gained full independence in 1966, but maintains ties to the British monarch, represented in Barbados by the Governor General, and is a member of the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister in 1966 was Errol Walton Barrow of the Democratic Labour Party, and he is credited as 'the father of independence'. The other major political party is the Barbados Labour Party, led by current Prime Minister - The Right Honourable Owen Arthur. In 1984 a third political group, the National Democratic Party, was formed.
 
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The Chattel House was originally the plantation workers home. They were modest wooden buildings set on blocks or rocks so that they could be easily moved from one lease holding to another. Especially if there was a dispute with the tenant! The steep gable roof constructed of corrugated iron was designed to suit the climate of heavy rains and winds. The shutters around the windows kept out the strong midday heat and ornate fretwork, carved wooden bannisters and miniature Jalousie windows added to their individuality. Open verandahs were decorated with a carved wooden trellis.



It was the British influence, encompassing Georgian, Jacobean and Victorian designs, that led to the uniformity, balance and harmony, without the more flamboyant look of the Spanish, French and Indian ornamentation so typical of other islands in the Caribbean.








It was the Barbadian monopoly and wealth from sugar that led to the construction of the great plantation homes. Barbados' natural coral limestone, cut out of the steep terraces of the ancient sea cliffs, became the distinctive building material of these now stately homes. Furnished with ancient Mahogany, they create our heritage of grandeur. It was a past rich in tradition and history that has influenced all that has followed.





 
This solid architecture separated Barbados from its neighbours with their mostly wooden buildings in the typical Spanish and French Caribbean styles.
Barbados' modern architects hold firm to their heritage, helping to keep tradition alive.






But like every area within Barbados there is a diversity and creativity that is unique to the island... resulting in some spectacular modern architecture. Life can never be dull when a nation as small as ours produces these types of buildings.

ENTRY REQUIREMENT.

Passports

A visitor to Barbados who is a Canadian or USA citizen travelling direct from these countries may be admitted without a passport for a period not exceeding three (3) months. However, that person will be required to produce proof of nationality, by means of citizenship papers or an original birth certificate, and photo identification by means of either.
* Job identification card with photograph
* Valid Driver's license with photograph
* Senior Citizen Card with photograph.
* University or School identification with photograph Every other person entering Barbados should be in possession of a valid passport and a valid return ticket. Visas are required for citizens from some countries. Contact your nearest Barbados Tourism Authority office for application forms and requirements.

CURRENCY

Barbados Dollar - US $1 = BDS $2 approx. The BDS Dollar is fixed to the U.S Dollar and does not fluctuate. The BDS $, to other currencies, changes daily, based on their fluctuations relative to the U.S. Dollar.

     DUTY FREE ALLOWANCES
 

• 1 litre of alcohol
• 200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco
• 50g (2 fl.oz.) of perfumes
• Up to 28 pounds sterling worth of other goods

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -

• 40 ounces of alcoholic beverages
• 24 12 oz cans/bottles of beer
• 200 cigarettes
• 50 cigars
• 2 lb. of tobacco

PROHIBITED ITEMS:

The importation of certain articles are prohibited or restricted to protect this beautiful community, and to maintain plant and animal life. Prohibited articles such as illegal drugs and pornography will be seized and persons may face serious penalties or prosecution.

Restricted items may be released after inspection or detained until conditions of the restrictions are met. Receipts are issued for all articles confiscated. Among the restricted items are:

Fruits and Vegetables All vegetables, fruits, plants, cuttings, and seeds must be declared to customs and presented for inspection by a Plant Quarantine Officer. Fresh fruits from certain countries are prohibited in order to prevent the spreading of plant and pest diseases. Certain other items may require an import permit and a photo sanitary certificate. Request for further information should be made to:
Plant Quarantine
Ministry of Agriculture,
Tel (246) 428-4150
 
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  HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
 
Check with Barbados High Commission
 

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DRIVING & TRANSPORTATION:
 


Transportation in Barbados can be quite an experience from a modern 'Super Highway' to a motorist dream come true...no cars, no hassle, no rush just beautiful scenery. It doesn't come better than this!




You can obtain a Barbados drivers license for $10.00 Bds on producing a valid National or International License at the following police stations and licensing authorities, or from the Ministry of Transport (0830-1430 Monday to Friday)

Police Stations

• Hastings
• Worthing
• Holetown

• Oistins
• Christ Church
• Pine
• St. Michael
• Folkestone

TRANSPORTATION
 

ROADS:
 

SPIRITUALITY