Geography
Barbados is a Caribbean island to the north of Trinidad and Tobago and east of St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

Bridgetown is the capital and an important Caribbean port.

The terrain in Barbados rises from west to east in a series of gentle terraces to its highest point at Mount Hillaby (336 m).

The weather is tropical with the rainy season between June and October.

Environment
The National Conservation Commission of Barbados is responsible for the development of beaches, caves, public gardens, parks and the Farley Hill National Park.

Examples of many of the island's plants are grown in the Flower Forest, a former sugar estate. Nearby, a densely wooded area, reminiscent of rainforest, can be seen at Welchman Hall Gully.

Graeme Hall Swamp, the island's largest body of inland water and the location of the island's largest red and white mangrove forest, is the habitat of many species of water birds.

Wildlife includes the green monkey, lizards, bats and turtles. Since 1987 the Barbados Sea Turtle Project has worked to conserve the endangered sea turtle populations in Barbados.

Architecture
An interesting example of Barbadian architecture is the "chattel house" a building originally housing plantation workers and designed so it could be moved from one location and assembled in another.

Chattel houses were constructed from wood with steep, corrugated iron, gabled roofs. Carved banisters, jalousie (louvre) windows and beautiful fretwork were features of the houses.

Plantation houses, built by the owners of sugar plantations and dating back to the seventeenth century, can be seen in Cherry Tree Hill (Nicholas Abbey) and on the east coast of St Philip Parish (Sunbury House).

Other remains of British Colonial buildings are in the Garrison area on Carlisle Bay. The Barbados Museum is housed in the former Garrison military prison.

Population
The population of Barbados was estimated at 285,000 in 2018.

Languages
English is the official language.

Religion
Over seventy-five percent of the people are Christian.

Food
Popular dishes in Barbados include pepper pot stew and "cou-cou". Cou-cou is made from cornmeal and okra, or breadfruit and green bananas. It is served with meat or fish and vegetables.

Chicken, pork and fish, such as flying fish and snapper, are eaten. Vegetables available are cassava, plantains, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, shallots and peas. Rice is also part of the diet.

A variety of locally grown herbs and seasonings are used in recipes.

Fruits include bananas, coconuts, guavas, mangoes, papayas and tamarinds.

The British influence on Barbadian cuisine can be seen in desserts, for example, fruit meringue pies.

Fresh fruit juices are available and alcoholic drinks, such as beer and rum, are brewed locally.

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