Barbados
Where pride and industry meet the trade winds, and neighbors are always welcome.
Barbados gave the world one of its brightest musical stars. Rihanna, born in Bridgetown, became a global icon in music and business, and in 2021 was named a National Hero of Barbados, the same year the nation became a republic. It is a small, human example of the same idea this whole hemisphere is built on, that one nation's talent can end up belonging to everyone.
The national motto, "Pride and Industry," was written to capture exactly that spirit. It is a small piece of wisdom shared across the Americas in a hundred different words, the same common ground this whole project stands on.
Get to Know Barbados
Capital: Bridgetown. Official language: English. Currency: Barbadian dollar, pegged to the US dollar. Became a parliamentary republic in 2021, after nearly four centuries under English then British rule.
Fun Facts
- George Washington's only trip outside what is now the United States was a seven week stay in Barbados in 1751.
- Mount Gay, founded in Barbados in 1703, is considered the world's oldest rum brand still in production.
- Harrison's Cave, a network of crystallized limestone caverns, sits in the very center of the island.
Why Visit
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves centuries of colonial architecture along the harbor. Harrison's Cave winds through crystallized limestone caverns at the island's center. Crop Over, the summer festival born from the sugar cane harvest, fills Bridgetown with calypso, costume, and the Grand Kadooment parade every July and August. Pink and white sand beaches ring the coast, and flying fish with cou cou remains the dish to try.
Made in Barbados
Barbados is known for its rum distilling heritage, sea island cotton, and Bajan pepper sauce. This space is reserved for a future Local Marketplace Spotlight, featuring Trust Standard certified Barbadian businesses once that pillar of the Americas Ecosystem exists. Soon.