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Barbados

Barbados

Barbados became an independent member of the Commonwealth in November 1966. Politically, Barbados is one of the most stable democracies in the English speaking Caribbean.

Prime Minister Owen Arthur's governing Barbados Labour Party (BLP) was returned to power for a third successive term after winning the General Election in May 2003. The BLP won 23 seats out of the 30-seat Parliament. The opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) won seven seats - an improvement over the two seats that the DLP won in the 1999 elections. The next General Election is due in 2007.

Barbados

Minister of Tourism, Noel Lynch recently declared Barbados a 'very safe' tourist destination drawing comparisons to other Caribbean islands such as Trinidad where the country was at war with the 'criminal element'. However, he also stated that serious crimes against visitors have increased in the last five years. The statement was made at the Visitor Safety and Security symposium held at the Barbados Community College's Hospitality Insitute. I havent been to Barbados since I was a kid, but I can't imagine that the crime element is any better there than it is in other Caribbean countries. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is just a ploy to promote tourism?

ref: https://www.nationnews.com/StoryView.cfm?Re...%2000%3A00%3A00

Edited: malexander on 22nd Aug, 2004 - 3:26pm

Barbados Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

People are starting to compare Trinidad with Jamaica, so if Barbados says they are 'safer' then it is probably not far from the truth. More tourists go there (Barbados) for sure and I believe it has an environment more conducive for creating a friendly atmosphere - not to mention if their are no tourists the economy of Barbados will go under (which it has been - on the decline - since Sept. 11).

Barbados

Explosion in Barbados

AN explosion that sent panic throughout several sections of the island yesterday claimed the life of a 41-year-old man. The dead man is believed to be a David Griffith of Rock Dundo, St Michael. Sources close to the investigations indicated that Griffith was reportedly attempting to decommission several crates of pyrotechnic, which were left behind from an Old Year's Night fireworks display, when the explosion ripped the roof apart and set afire a wall bungalow and makeshift warehouse at Collymore Rock, St Michael.
Ref. https://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/ar...ws?id=126451740

Barbados

Barbados is a far safer place than Trinidad or Jamaica however, those islands are typically used a yardsticks when evaluating Barbados becasue they are bigger and more well-known.

Barbados also enjoys a very high standard of living and higher wages than most of the West Indies, however Bim (short name) also suffers from high inflation and a high cost of living.

But, it is a place of high standards and education is taken VERY seriously. Tourism has indeed help to shore up some of the losses that would have been worse with the sugar industry in a tailspin. So, on one hand, you have to like the tourism. On the other hand the tourism has caused a one-industry dependent economy, environmental damage and short-sightedness.

Barbados has small reserves of oil that we typically sold un-refined to Trinidad. There are plans in place to further explore the reserves and possibly refine the oil in Barbados for export.

As a coral island (unlike most of the rest of the West Indies) Barbados cannot support most other crops and light industries. It also has intermittent streams and does not have the "hinterlands" you might find elsewhere.

Bajans are known to be smart, reserved and conservative people with outsiders. This is a result of the smallness and close proximity of the island. It is also a result of the tourism industry which has created a "two-faced" approach to daily life.

Just a little about Bim. I might add more.

Barbados

Have any statistics with regards to crime? Trinidad is infested with crime. I heard Barbados is a great place to live and for vacation purposes, but I have never been there. What about diversity of races?

Barbados

I do not have any specific crime stats, but I bet some can be found on the web.

Barbados has aobut 30 murders a yr with a population of about 300,000.
Most crimes are petty property crimes. So, as in Trinidad, most people have burglar-proofing on their homes. But, I have never been afraid to walk around town at might or in any of the toughest neighborhoods.

The island is primarily black. Blacks live and work throughout the island.
Most Indians and Syrians live and work in and around Bridgetown-- the capital. Rich whites live isolated lives on the West Coast. Middle Class and Poor whites typically live on the South Coast and the country areas of the North and East Coast. Middle class blacks and whites tend to mix moreso than other races.

But Barbados is not as diverse as Trinidad in racial make-up.

Barbados Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean

Bim is really a ncie place to visit and live. I am always there since my dad is bajan. I really like that you dont have to look over your shoulder every minute like in trinidad, but I also dont like how conservative some people can be. I guess that comes from how deeply rooted barbados is in the church. But overall I love the place and its beautiful beaches and scenery. The food is also good and the nightlife is also good.