Bridgetown, Barbados by Miles - Oh The Places We'll Go (sitios de interés)
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Bridgetown, Barbados
by Miles Brown
Bridgetown Barbados is the largest city on the island of Barbados. It is also the capital of Barbados. Barbados is in the Caribbean. It is very small, as it is only 21 miles in length and 14 miles in width, and covers an area of 166 square miles. Barbados is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic Ocean and 62 miles east of the Windward Islands and The Caribbean Sea. It is actually the easternmost island in the Caribbean. Interestingly enough, Barbados is completely surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. It is not touched by the Caribbean Sea at all!
There are many ways to get to Barbados. The most convenient ways to get there are by air and by sea, since it is an island and there is no land bridge to Barbados from America. A lot of people take luxury cruise ships to all of the Caribbean islands. Many others choose to fly on planes to get directly to Barbados.
The weather in Bridgetown is tropical and mild. It is usually warm and sunny and when it does rain, it is usually in quick showers so you can enjoy the rest of the day! You would need to bring warm weather clothes::text like T-shirts and shorts and of course, swimsuits! You would also need to bring sunglasses, hats and suntan lotion. The beautiful sunrays deliver an average of 86 degree Fahrenheit weather, with the northeast trade winds consistently blowing to keep it breezy instead of too hot. The weather is fairly consistent year round with more rain during hurricane season, which runs June through September.
Activities in Bridgetown include sailing, fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, golfing, shopping, and viewing cricket matches, horse races and polo matches. To see a piece of American history, you can visit a church that George Washington attended when he was eleven. If you::text like beaches, Bridgetown has many beautiful ones to enjoy, such as the beaches along the South Coast Boardwalk. If you::text like history, you must see the National Heroes Square. It has many historical buildings and monuments of past leaders. For more history and culture, the Barbados Garrison, located in Bridgetown, is a UNESCO World Heritage sight. That means it was deemed to have special cultural or physical significance. Another amazing place to see is the Harrison Caves. They are located in the middle of Barbados and the tour takes you on a tram ride underground to view these naturally formed wonders of the earth.
Barbados has a resident population of about 250,000 people, with over 90,000 people living in Bridgetown. Barbadian people, or Bajan’s - as they refer to themselves, love life. They are friendly, happy people who enjoy the arts, value education and love to watch sports and celebrate, especially during Carnival! Barbados has a labor force of about 125,000 skilled and well-educated people. The education is based on the British system, and produces a literacy rate of 99%, which is one of the highest in the world. Bridgetown was initially a key hub for trade and commerce. Now, most of Barbados’ income comes from manufacturing and tourism.
There are many interesting facts about Barbados and Bridgetown in particular. The name Barbados came from the Bearded Fig Trees that once were found abundantly on the island. Also, Bridgetown was originally named Indian Bridge. Before the English took Barbados, the Portuguese used it as a rest stop where they picked up food. Barbados has always flown the British flag until it’s independence in 1966. It has the third oldest parliament in the world, having 358 years of continuous parliamentary government. Barbados is also the birthplace of Grammy winning artist Rihanna. It is the only coral island in the region that has all white sand beaches. Also, Barbados was the first Caribbean island to have piped water and it still maintains pure drinking water. Lastly, in an interesting tie to the United States, did you know that South Carolina was originally settled by Barbadians and its first Governor was a Barbadian?
Come relax and have fun in sunny Bridgetown, Barbados!
Sources:
Caribbean Eyewitness Travel Guide, DK Dorling Kindersley publishing