Bridgetown, Barbados

According to abbreviationfinder, Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados, and a major tourist destination in the Lesser Antilles. It is located in Carlisle Bay, in the southwest of the island. It is the main port and commercial center of the island. Mainly sugar, rum and molasses are exported through Bridgetown. Bridgetown is also a financial center.

The present location of the city was established by the English in 1628 after their settlement in Jamestown. Bridgetown is a major West Indies tourist destination, and the city acts as a major financial, IT and convention center in the Caribbean region.

History

Although the island was found entirely abandoned or uninhabited when the British landed there, one of the few vestiges of pre-existence indigenous people on the island is a primitive bridge built over the Careenage swamp area in downtown Bridgetown. It is suspected that this bridge was created by an indigenous people to the Caribbean known as the Arawak.

In determining the structure the British settlers began calling what is now the Bridgetown area, Indian Bridge. The Arawaks are believed to have been driven from Barbados to the neighboring island of Saint Lucia, during an invasion by another indigenous people in the region known as the Caribs.

Finally after 1654, when a new bridge was built over the Careenage by the British, it became the area known as The City of Saint Michael and later as Bridgetown, and the last name stuck.

Bridgetown is the only continental city outside of North America that George Washington visited. (George Washington House, the house where he stayed, is now part of the Garrison Historic Area)

From 1800 to 1885 Bridgetown served as the main seat of Government for the former British colony of the Windward Islands. During this period, the resident Governor of Barbados also served as head of the Colonial Windward Islands. After the Government of Barbados officially left Windward from Union Island in 1885, the headquarters moved from Bridgetown to Saint George’s on the neighboring island of Grenada.

Barbados has been governed by the Barbados Labor Party (PLB) for the past thirteen years, what is called the “Owen Arthur Administration”. Prime Minister Owen S. Arthur was chosen from among world leaders to deliver the William Wilberforce lecture on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade.

Between the breathtaking landscapes, and the new perspective of the city, Barbados attracts many investors from various walks of life. The current ICC Cricket Worldcup 2007 tournament has attracted thousands of visitors to the island and continues to be a very successful event.

Geography and climate

The city of Bridgetown, and the larger area of Greater Bridgetown, occupy most of the parish of Saint Michael, an area that covers about 39 km². Downtown Bridgetown was initially comprised of a swamp, which quickly drained and developed.

In the center of Bridgetown are the Careenage and Constitution River. This body of water provides the city with direct access from medium-sized yachts or small boats. Although moderately shallow, the Careenage cuts Bridgetown into two parts. During the rainy season it functions as a water outlet for the inner islands. Flowing into Carlisle Bay on the island’s southwest coast, the Careenage can be seen as a marina for boaters to enter or exit the inland dock located directly in front of the Barbados Parliament buildings.

The city’s climate is tropical, where it rarely drops below 20 ° C and exceeds 31 ° C. Average rainfall is 1254 mm per year.

Languages

English is the root official language of Barbados, and is used for communications, administration and public services throughout the island. As the official language of the country, the level of English tends to conform to vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and conventions similar to, but not exactly the same as, those of British English. A regional variant of English, known locally as Bajan, is spoken by most of Barbados in everyday life, especially in informal settings. In their full form, they lower the sounds very different from the standard English heard on the island. The degree of intelligibility between Bajan and English generally changes depending on the speakers’ origin and the “rawness” of their accent. In rare cases, A Bajan speaker can be completely unintelligible to an outside English speaker if enough slang terminology is present in a sentence. Bajan is somewhat differentiated from, but heavily influenced by, other Caribbean English dialects; it is a fusion of British English and elements borrowed from West African languages. Hindi and Bhojpuri are also spoken on the island by a small Indo-Bajan minority. Spanish is considered the second most popular language on the island, followed by French.

Religion

The majority of Barbadians of African and European descent are Christian (95%), mainly Anglican (40%). Other Christian denominations with significant followers in Barbados are the Roman Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Spiritual Baptists. The Church of England was the official state religion until its disenfranchisement by the Parliament of Barbados after independence. Religious minorities are Hindus, Muslims, the Bahá’í Faith, and Jews. See population of Barbados.