Barbados is an island nation in the Caribbean that is a republic withing the British Commonwealth. Located at the boundary of the South American and Caribbean plates, it is the easternmost island of the Caribbean. Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown and the island is 169 square miles (439 square kilometers) in area and home to about 280,000 people.
Barbados Basics
The name Barbados comes from the Portuguese or Spanish term for bearded ones, which may refer to the hanging roots of the indigenous bearded fig tree, or because the Kalinago, the original inhabitants of the island, were said to have beards.
The first Europeans to claim possession of the island were the Spanish; it was also briefly claimed but ultimately abandoned by the Portuguese. It was taken possession of by the British in 1625, and the first permanent English settlers arrived in 1627. It became a Commonwealth realm in 1966 and then became a republic in 2021, with a ceremonial president.
Most people in the country are of African ancestry and English is the official language, though Bajan Creole is also widely spoken.
Barbados National Symbols
The Barbadian flag has a dark blue background with a vertical gold stripe in the center and a trident in the middle of that. The colors represent the sky and sand. The coat of arms features a dolphin and a pelican and the words “pride and industry,” which is the national motto.
The national anthem is “In Plenty and In Time of Need,” which was adopted at the nation’s independence in 1966.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goGjLXgfLP8?si=3XXhWhkADfa9bl3S]
The national bird is the brown pelican, and the national flower is Caesalpinia pulcherrima, a flowering plant of the pea family whose common names include peacock flower, red bird of paradise and pride of Barbados. The flower is featured on Queen Elizabeth II’s personal Barbados flag (used when she visited the island in 1975) and the flower represented Barbados on Meghan Markle’s wedding veil.
They’re not officially a national symbol, but the island is known for being home to wild pigs, which are said to have been left when the Portuguese abandoned the island.
Fun Facts About Barbados
Did you know the music artist Rihanna is from Barbados? She was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in 1988 in the town of Saint Michael.
William Sayle served as a governor for Barbados and was the first governor of colonial South Carolina.
The nation’s statue of Lord Nelson predates the more famous one in London’s Trafalgar Square by about 30 years, having been erected in Bridgetown in 1813.
George Washington House in Saint Micheal is said to have been visited by the first American president during his only know trip outside the United States. He visited Barbados in 1751.
Barbados Activities for Kids
Take a virtual tour of the George Washington House and learn more about the then-future president’s visit to the island with his half-brother.
Learn about the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, where you can see birds, reptiles and Barbados green monkeys (there’s a little video at the first link).
At Teachers Pay Teachers you can find lots of great Barbados content to buy, including a unit study, Google Slides for research and a numbers and counting workbook with an island theme.
Activity Village has facts about Barbados and printables for members including compare and contrast, research worksheets and coloring pages.
While most of the resources at Twinkl are more broadly about the Caribbean, there are a few specific to Barbados including a flag printable and fact sheet.
You can also learn about Barbados and subscribe at KidsKonnect to get worksheets including some Barbados history, a word search and crossword puzzle.
Flying fish and cou cou are considered the national dish of Barbados. You can find a recipe for cou cou at Barbados.org. If you can’t get flying fish where you live, Pratesi Living suggests using dover sole, lemon sole or flounder in their recipe.
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