Passport/Visa Requirements: All U.S. citizens must have a passport when traveling by air to or from Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America and Mexico. Citizens of Canada, Mexico and the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda also must have a passport or other designated secure document to enter the U.S.
Beginning 1 June 2009, passports are required for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders with the U.S. and for cruise passengers returning to the U.S. from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda.
Proof of onward passage required. Departure tax is Bds$60, payable at the airport if not included in your ticket. Reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier before departure.
Population: 280,946.
Languages: English, Bajan dialect..
Predominant Religions: Christian (Church of England, other Protestant sects, Roman Catholic), Jewish, Muslim and Rastafarian..
Time Zone: 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Voltage Requirements: 110/120 volts.
Telephone Codes: 246, country code;
For More Information
Tourist OfficesBarbados: Barbados Tourism Authority, Harbour Road, Bridgetown. Phone 246-427-2623. Fax 246-426-4080. http://www.visitbarbados.org.
Canada: Barbados Tourism Authority, 105 Adelaide St. W., Suite 1010, Toronto, ON M5H 1P9. Phone 416-214-9880. Toll-free 888-227-2236. Fax 416-214-9882. http://www.visitbarbados.org.
U.S.: Barbados Tourism Authority, 800 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017. Phone 212-986-6516 or toll-free 800-221-9831. Fax 212-573-9850. http://www.visitbarbados.org. There are also offices in Los Angeles and Coral Gables, Florida.
Barbados Embassies
Canada: High Commission for Barbados, 130 Albert St., Suite 302, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4. Phone 613-236-9517. Fax 613-230-4362.
U.S.: Embassy of Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20008. Phone 202-939-9200. Fax 202-332-7467.
Foreign Embassies in Barbados
Canada: Canadian High Commission, Bishop's Court Hill, Bridgetown (mail address: P.O. Box 404, Bridgetown, Barbados). Phone 246-429-3550. Fax 246-429-3780. http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/bridgetown.
U.S.: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael (mail address: P.O. Box 302, Bridgetown, Barbados, BB11000). Phone 246-436-4950. Fax 246-429-5246. http://barbados.usembassy.gov.
Additional Reading
Pigtails 'n Breadfruit by Austin Clarke. A culinary memoir of the author's childhood in Barbados. Clarke also wrote
Growing Up Stupid Under The Union Jack, in which he reminisces about growing up in Barbados' colonial past, and
The Polished Hoe, about relations between a planter, his kept woman and their daughter.
Ancestors by Kamau Brathwaite. An anthology of works by this well-respected Caribbean poet.
In the Castle of My Skin by George Lamming. The work of Barbados' most famous writer deals with the Caribbean colonial experience and the struggle for self-rule.
It So Happen by Timothy Callender. A collection of comic short stories capturing Bajan village life.
How to Be a Bajan by Harold Hoyte. Explains the Bajan way of life, with some good laughs.
Barbados in Bloom (Miller Publishing). The private and botanical gardens of Barbados, in a beautiful coffee-table book. An excellent reference, too.
Bygone Barbados by Ann Watson Yates (Black Bird). Black-and-white photos of yesteryear, lovingly explained.
Side by Side by Ann Watson Yates. Characters in the Barbadian landscape, in words and photos.
Architecture & Design in Barbados (Miller Publishing). This coffee-table book reveals splendid residences.
Historic Houses of Barbados by Henry Fraser (Barbados National Trust).
Jill Walker's Barbados by Jill Walker. The richly illustrated story of the artist's 50-plus years on the island.
A Concise and Illustrated Military History of Barbados, 1627-2007 by Major Michael Hartland (Barbados Books).
Barbados: Experience the Authentic Caribbean by Arif Ali (Hansib Publishing). Comprehensive coffee-table book.
A-Z of Barbados Heritage by Carrington, Fraser, Gilmore and Forde (Macmillan Caribbean). Heritage is broadly defined in this useful, highly readable compendium of information.
