Barbados - interesting facts

What is the famous island of Barbados ? Sandy beaches , clean, like a tear, water, majestic palm trees, excellent cuisine and rum? Undoubtedly, these components of recreation are known to any tourist. And Barbados is a centuries-old story written by man and by nature. Our article is devoted to twenty of the most interesting facts about the island of Barbados.

Top 20 amazing facts about Barbados

1. Literally from Portuguese Barbados means "bearded". This name was given to the island in 1536 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Campos. Fig trees, entwined with epiphytes, reminded the traveler of a beard.
2. The size of the island is not impressive - it is only 425 square meters. km. (34 km long and 22 km wide). But the coastline stretches for 94 km.
3. Interestingly, Barbados is the birthplace of grapefruit. Previously, it was referred to as a pomelo, and later regarded as an independent type of citrus fruit. It is now established that this is a hybrid of Asian pomelo and orange.
4. Children aged 10 to 17 are allowed to drink alcohol in the presence of their parents. Without supervision under local laws, alcohol is allowed only from the age of 18.
5. The first slaves that appeared on the island were pale-faced. From 1640 to 1650, the enemies of the British Empire were exiled here.
6. For several hundred years, the island was a British colony, the British settled here in 1627, and Barbados gained independence only in 1966.
7. For 350 years now, Barbados has been known for its excellent rum, which in 1980 created the popular Malibu liqueur. A coconut, accidentally dropped into a barrel of rum, marked the beginning of the liqueur production.
8. The Barbados army took part in the First and Second World Wars, while the strength of the armed forces is 610, and the ground forces consist of only one regiment of 500 men.
9. The head of state is the British queen, but the governor is governed by the island on her behalf.
10. Behind the scenes, Barbados is called the "land of flying fish", which is considered a symbol of the islanders. The title of the flying fish fully justifies, since its flight over the water reaches a maximum of 400 meters, and the speed is 18 m / s.
11. The inhabitants of the island are proud of the clean drinking water provided by underground sources.
12. Among all the islands in the Caribbean, Barbados is the leader in terms of living standards - there are practically no poor quarters here.
13. The state emblem depicts a ficus, two orchids, a sugar cane, a dolphin and a pelican, which is a symbol of the animal and vegetable world. The motto of the Barbadians: "Pride and diligence".
14. It is known that it was in Barbados that James Sisnett, the second longest man on the planet, lived his life. He was born in February 1900, and died in May 2013.
15. Barbados is visited by many celebrities. Here, the houses of Oprah Winfrey and Britney Spears were purchased, often the Beckham's spouses visit. Barbados is home to the famous singer Rihanna, who is appointed ambassador of the country for culture and youth policy.
16. Barbados is the only island in the Caribbean where green monkeys are found.
17. It was in Barbados that the biologist from the University of Pennsylvania Blair Hudges discovered the smallest snake in the world, which reaches no more than 10 cm in length.
18. A fifth of the island's budget is spent on education, which is close to the British model. It is known that the literacy rate of the local population reaches 100%.
19. The national flower of Barbados is considered to be Cesalpinia the Most Beautiful (Orchid Ordinary).
20. In Barbados is the rarest in the world collection of English arms of the 17th century, which has more than 400 exhibits.