Pear-shaped, Barbados is a relatively flat island, rising at most to 336 m at Mont Hillaby, in the central highlands. There are numerous caves on the island.

Barbados is considered part of the Lesser Antilles, its area is about 430 km².

A little history…

The island, then inhabited by the Arawak Indians from Venezuela, was discovered in 1536 by the Portuguese explorer Pedro A Campos. Because of the “hairiness” of the long aerial roots of the banyan trees growing on the coast, he nicknamed it "barbue" [“bearded”], hence the name "Barbados"!

The English settled here in 1627 and, uniquely in the history of the Caribbean, Barbados was not colonised by any other nation and remained a British colony until its semi autonomy in 1961.

It then obtained independence on 30 November 1966.