Barbados lies in the Caribbean, part of the Americas. Its seat of government is Bridgetown.
It is home to roughly 282,467 people, placing it 186th of 250 by population — between New Caledonia above it and French Polynesia below. Within the Caribbean alone it is the 15th largest of 28 and the 10th most populous.
It covers 430 km², which ranks it 207th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Antigua and Barbuda and just ahead of Heard Island and McDonald Islands. For scale, it is around a quarter larger than Malta.
Barbados on the map
The coordinates the dataset gives are 13.2° N, 59.5° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,466 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Sudan, Chad and Yemen sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
There is no land frontier at all — every boundary it has is a coastline. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, which shapes how it trades and who it deals with.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in Barbados
Density comes out at around 657 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
English is the only official language. Another 90 entries list English too — among them American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and Australia.
Someone from Barbados is a Barbadian.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 33rd most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in the Caribbean.
Money, codes and practical details
The currency is the Barbadian dollar ($, BBD). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Barbados.
Its internet country code is .bb. Calls from overseas start with +1246. Standard country codes: bb and BRB.
Bridgetown is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Fun facts about Barbados
- It is 186th of 250 by population, with about 282,467 residents.
- The Barbadian dollar is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Websites based there use the .bb domain.
- In land area it is around a quarter larger than Malta.
- People from Barbados are known as Barbadians.
- Within the Caribbean it is the 15th largest of 28.
Barbados — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Barbados?
- The capital of Barbados is Bridgetown.
- How big is Barbados?
- Barbados covers 430 km², ranking 207th of 250 by land area. That makes it around a quarter larger than Malta.
- What language is spoken in Barbados?
- The official language of Barbados is English. It is also official in 90 other entries on this list.
- What currency does Barbados use?
- Barbados uses the Barbadian dollar, written $ (currency code BBD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Where is Barbados located?
- Barbados is in the Caribbean, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 13.2° north and 59.5° west, roughly 1,466 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- Is Barbados a country?
- Yes. Barbados is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of Barbados?
- Barbados has a population of about 282,467, which makes it the 186th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. New Caledonia sits just above it and French Polynesia just below.
- Does Barbados border any other country?
- No. Barbados has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
