Barbados: History

Barbados was originally inhabited by Amerindian peoples, including the Arawak and later the Kalinago, before European contact. The island was claimed by England in 1625 and became a permanent English settlement in 1627, quickly developing into a major sugar-producing colony dependent on enslaved African labor.

Barbados remained under continuous British colonial rule for over three centuries, longer than almost any other Caribbean territory, earning it the nickname 'Little England.' Slavery was abolished in 1834, and the island gradually moved toward self-governance through the 20th century. Barbados achieved independence from the United Kingdom on November 30, 1966, and became a republic in 2021, removing the British monarch as head of state while remaining within the Commonwealth.