Consider some of the most brilliant places in the world are in the Caribbean. Sites such as the geological masterpieces known as the Pitons in St. Lucia, and the unforgettable Belize Barrier Reef that has geologists, oceanographists and tourists alike completely baffled.
And don’t forget the Morne Trois Pitons National Park in Dominica that boasts of rivers, waterfalls, lakes, volcanoes, forests, mountains, trails and so much more. The Caribbean IS exceptional.
What is a World Heritage Site?
A World Heritage Site is a natural or man-made site that is deemed of importance from UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other reasons of significance. World Heritage Sites are legally protected because of their significance.
The UNESCO World Heritage status carries a lot of weight internationally and gives destinations and particularly, the site in question, a lot of notoriety around the world.
Here is a list of World Heritage sites of Barbados that you might be interested in
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
In the times of European settlement in the Caribbean, the capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, was a major port for the shipment of goods for the British. Bridgetown is one of the Caribbean’s earliest established towns and was used as a trading port in the 17th century. This historical World Heritage Site features colonial town buildings, the sea port and former garrison.
Tentative World Heritage Sites for Barbados
The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum
This Tentative World Heritage Site depicts exactly what’s in its name. The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum reflects the island’s history of slavery, agriculture and the production of Sugar and Rum in the 17th century. Barbados developed the earliest successful sugar industry in the Caribbean under the English.
The Scotland District of Barbados
The Scotland District of Barbados is located in the parish of St. Andrew. The Scotland District, usually described as a “half-bowl” shape, is considered the only highland area on the island. The island’s highest point, Mount Hillaby, is located in the Scotland District. The Scotland District has rock formations between 30-50 million years of age, composed of clay stones, chalk and volcanic ash.
About Barbados
As per Wikipedia, Barbados (UK: /bɑːrˈbeɪdɒs/ bar-BAY-doss; US: /bɑːrˈbeɪdoʊs/ bar-BAY-dohss; locally /bɑːrˈbeɪdəs/ bar-BAY-dəss) is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region next to North America and north of South America, and is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands. It lies on the boundary of the South American and Caribbean plates. Its capital and largest city is Bridgetown.
Inhabited by Kalinago people since the 13th century, and prior to that by other Indigenous peoples, Spanish navigators took possession of Barbados in the late 15th century, claiming it for the Crown of Castile. It first appeared on a Spanish map in 1511. The Portuguese Empire claimed the island between 1532 and 1536, but abandoned it in 1620 with their only remnants being an introduction of wild boars for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited. An English ship, the Olive Blossom, arrived in Barbados on 14 May 1625; its men took possession of the island in the name of King James I. In 1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and Barbados became an English and later British colony. During this period, the colony operated on a plantation economy, relying on the labour of African slaves who worked on the island’s plantations. Slavery continued until it was phased out through most of the British Empire by the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
On 30 November 1966, Barbados moved towards political independence and assumed the status of a Commonwealth realm, becoming a separate jurisdiction with Elizabeth II as the Queen of Barbados. On 30 November 2021, Barbados transitioned to a republic within the Commonwealth, replacing its monarchy with a ceremonial president.
Barbados’s population is predominantly of African ancestry. While it is technically an Atlantic island, Barbados is closely associated with the Caribbean and is ranked as one of its leading tourist destinations.
