Every once in a while, we all come across a name of a place we have heard of but are unsure about which region the place is in. More often we are unsure about whether the place is a country or just a state within one. One of such places you may have heard of but are unsure about is Barbados.
Many people often assume Barbados is part of America or Jamaica, while many assume it is part of the Caribbean or the Bahamas. This is an article that can give you clarity about Barbados. It will also talk about the reasons as to why there is always confusion about which country it belongs to.
IS BARBADOS A TOWN, CITY, STATE, OR A COUNTRY?
Barbados is an island country that is located in the Caribbean Sea and is classified as an Atlantic Island. It is situated east of the West Indies Islands with a population of over 277,821 residents. It is an Independent country since November 1966 and has been functioning as a constitutional monarchy ever since its independence from the British. Hence, Barbados is not a part of another country like America, Jamaica, the Bahamas, but is in the Caribbean region and is a country of its own.
Find a zoomed-in map of Barbados HERE
WHY DO PEOPLE CONFUSE BARBADOS AS PART OF AMERICA, JAMAICA, THE BAHAMAS AND CARIBBEAN?
Barbados is located in such an area that it can be very easily associated with the countries surrounding it. For example, the United States of America is located right above the islands making it easy to assume that it is just part of America. Similarly, the Bahamas and Jamaica are other well-known island countries located around Barbados. The proximity of these countries along with the fact that they all are islands in the Caribbean sea play a role in creating such confusion. They make people believe that Barbados is just a part of the Bahamas or Jamaica.
BUT, IS BARBADOES PART OF CARIBBEAN?
One of the assumptions of Barbados being part of the Caribbean is right. If you closely look at the map above, Barbados is situated in the Caribbean sea and is surrounded by other Caribbean islands. This makes it Caribbean.
CONCLUSION:
Barbados is thus, neither a part of America, Jamaica, or the Bahamas but is only part of the Caribbean. It’s always easy to confuse names and regions when you do not have a map in front of you. When in doubt in the future, check out Google Maps or just pick up a physical map and clear your doubts. A visual study will always help you understand things better.
Planning a trip to one of the Caribbean islands? HERE is an article that can give you a gist of how expensive food is on such islands and will help you plan your budget accordingly.
