Today, I want to tell you some interesting facts about Barbados... the Caribbean island which I'm from. However, these facts can only really ever be experienced and enjoyed by travellers once they visit this friendly, island nation.
This is Barbados' national flag.
Fact 1. The United Nations Human Index (2011) ranked Barbados in the highest bracket "Very High Human Development", well above the regional average for the Caribbean and Latin America.
Fact 2. Visitors highlight the friendliness of Barbadians as the island's greatest and most pleasing asset. This is reflected in the highest repeat visitor factor in the region of 39%.
Fact 3. The people of Barbados have a history of long ingrained Christian principles, a sound and free educational system with a literacy rate of 97%.
Saint Lawrence Primary Students
Fact 4. Barbados has the oldest parliament in the world, with uninterrupted parliamentary governance since 1639.
Fact 5. Barbados was the only vacation destination in this Hemisphere with a scheduled Concorde service.One of the retired British Airways concordes now resides at our international airport.
Fact 6. The name 'Barbados' is derived from the Bearded Fig Trees once found in abundance on the island.
Bearded Fig Tree Barbados
Fact 7. Barbados is completely surrounded bythe Atlantic Ocean.
Fact 8. Barbados is 21 miles long and a smile (14 miles) wide.
Satellite Image Of Barbados
I have some more facts to share about Barbados, but for now, I'll leave it here. I hope that these fascinating facts entice you to either tell someone about, or even get you yourself to come and experience what the island has to offer.