Barbados was visited by both the Spanish and Portuguese, but claimed as a colony by Britain in 1625. Trinidad, as well as Tobago and other smaller islands, became part of the Spanish empire. Large numbers of English settlers arrived in Barbados in the 17th century to farm tobacco and cotton. The introduction of sugar cultivation from the middle of …

Tourism, and offshore finance attracted by the low tax regime, have replaced sugar cane as the main players in the economy of Barbados, but the importance of sugar cane is still emphasized in the annual Crop Over carnival held in July and early August. The ethnic origin of the population is predominantly African. The Grammy-winning musician …

The lesser islands of the nation of Trinidad & Tobago, were created by forceful contact between the South American and Caribbean geological plates assisted by a volcanic eruption. Coral deposits 300 feet (90 meters) thick have been laid on what is now Barbados. The islands were first inhabited by successive waves of Amerindian tribes – …

Although often grouped together in the minds of outsiders, the Caribbean islands of Trinidad, Tobago and Barbados form two nations: Barbados is politically separate from the other two. The islands are located in the Lesser Antilles group in the north western Atlantic Ocean. Trinidad & Tobago lie just off the coast of Venezuela and to the south …