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The World Cup of Cricket 2007 in Barbados, West Indies |
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Barbados, West Indies is an independent island nation. It is located at 13 degrees North and 59 degrees West in the Southern Caribbean region. It is very close to South American and 434 kilometers to the northeast of Venezuela. To the west of Barbados is Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. To the south is Trinidad and Tobago. To the southwest is Grenada. The total area is 430 square kilometers. The island is divided into eleven parishes. The people of Barbados are called as the Bajans.
History
The easternmost island of the West Indies is the Windward island of Barbados. In 1536, the first European explorer Pedro Campos, Portuguese navigator landed here. The island Los Barbados was named by Campos after its bearded fig trees. The island’s Carib population was incarcerated by the Spanish, which died out quickly. The island was settled by Britain in 1627. To work on sugar plantation slaves were used from West Africa by the British. In 1834 slavery was abolished by Britain. Barbados formed a portion of the Federation of the West Indies from the year 1958 to 1962 and it was led by Grantley Adams. Self Government was gained by Barbodas in 1961 and the nation was led to Independence by Errol Barrow in 1966. November 30, 1966 was the day when Barbodas became an independent autonomous state. In the 1994 elections Owen Arthur became the Prime Minister. Formation of a ten-member commission was declared by the prime Minister in May 1995 to guide the Government on improvement of the country’s constitution and political institutions.
Facts
Area: 431Sq Km (166sq mi)
Population (2005 Est.): 2,79,254
Capital (Population): Bridgetown (97,500)
Sports
Barbados, West Indies is one of the great sporting venues in the Caribbean. Various sports like Cricket, Cycling, Golf, Hiking/Walking, Horse Racing, Horse Riding, Marathon, Paragliding and Polo are played. The different Water sports include Fishing, Kayaking, Kite surfing, Parasailing, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Sailing, Surfing, Wave runners, Windsurfing and Swimming with the Turtles. In horse racing, horses run clockwise. The racing season extends for the entire year. The prime event is the Sandy Lane Gold Cup. Jockeys from even the United States and Canada take part in it. As the weather is sunny throughout the year, this place is a perfect venue for golf. The ideal climatic conditions are reinforced by the world-class golf courses and facilities. Many golf tournaments are hosted throughout the year. The Run Barbados festival is scheduled in the first weekend in December. This event includes a 5K Fun Run, Walk, a 10K, a Half-Marathon and a Marathon.
Cricket
Cricket is the national sport of Barbados, West Indies. This place always provided a sizable contingent to the West Indies team. Sir Garfield Sobers, Wes Hall, Keith Boyce, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, David Allen and the three W’s are the prominent Barbadians who have contributed significantly to West Indies cricket. The final match of the 2007 World Cup of Cricket is scheduled at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
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