Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. It is a relative small island, having a land mass of just 431 square kilometers. Barbados gained independancy from the United Kingdom on the 30th November 1966. The Capital town of the island is Bridgetown, and here is where most of the shops are located. Barbados has 11 parishes. The highest point of the island is Mount Hilaby at 336 metres. The local currency used is the Barbados Dollar, though US Dollars are widely accepted. Visitors to Barbados number approximately 510,000 per annum. The main avenues for income are tourism, sugar, light manufacturing and component assembly for export. Barbados has one airport (Grantley Adams) and two seaports.
