Barbados is the most easterly of the islands in the Caribbean.

The highest point on the island of Barbados is Mount Hillaby (336 m).

Barbados is composed of limestone, known as coral rock.

The coral rock of Barbados contains underground supplies of water, suitable for drinking water.

Barbados was named by the Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos.

The name Los Barbados means "the bearded ones" and refers to trees on the island that had many aerial roots resembling beards.

The Spanish arrived in Barbados at the end of the fifteenth century.

Captain John Powell, an English navigator, visited Barbados in 1625 and claimed the island in the name of King James I.

Nicholas Abbey on Cherry Tree Hill was built in 1650 and is thought to be the oldest Plantation House in Barbados.

Codrington College, built in 1743, is one of the oldest educational establishments in the Caribbean.

In 1816 a slave known as Bussa led a revolt against the plantation owners. Today Bussa is remembered as a hero by Barbadians.

The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act (1807) prohibited the slave trade within the British Empire. (Slaves in the British colonies did not gain their freedom until the 1830s. The 1833 Abolition of Slavery Act began the process leading to emancipation).

Barbados became an independent country in 1966.

Barbados has retained its links with the United Kingdom through membership of the Commonwealth.

Barbados is the third oldest parliamentary democracy in the world.

Errol Barrow was the first prime minister after independence. Errol Barrow Day is celebrated annually on 21 January.

In 1983 coup leaders in Grenada were ousted by forces from the US and six Caribbean countries. Barbados provided a base for the invasion of Grenada.

Between 1992 and 2004 Bridgetown Port was five times declared Caribbean Port of the Year.

Barbados became a republic in November 2021 but links with Britain continue through the Commonwealth.