Location, size and languageBarbados is an island located in the Atlantic. It is approximately 200 miles northeast of Trinidad and is approximately 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC (Barbados, 2011). The capital, Bridgetown, is on the southwest coast of the island. The official language of Barbados is English. The population of Barbados was estimated at 285,653 by the United Nations (UN) in 2010 (Barbados, 2007). The people of Barbados are called Bajans. Approximately 90% of residents are of African descent, 4% are of European descent, and 6% are of Asian or mixed descent. The dominant religion in Barbados is Christianity; with 67% Protestants, 4% Roman Catholics, 17% atheists and 12% are not active members of any particular faith (Information note: Barbados, 2011).History Barbados was initially believed to have been colonized by the Arawak Indians. When Europeans discovered the island, it was not colonized. The first Europeans to enter Barbados were the Portuguese, but in 1627 the British were the first to establish a colony there (Barbados, 2011). Tobacco and cotton were first grown by the colonists, but were replaced by sugar in the 1640s. "Slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar plantations, and eventually the population was approximately 90% black” (Barbados, 2011). In 1816, a slave revolution took place and slavery finally ended in 1834 throughout the British Empire. Political System and Government Barbados gained its independence on November 30, 1966 from Great Britain. Within the Commonwealth, the country became a parliamentary democracy. Barbados has been politically stable since its independence (Barbados, 2011). Barbados' legal system is established by British common law. It has a governor appointed by the crown... middle of paper .......com: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107321.html#ixzz1bHjyGwliBarbados. (2011). Retrieved October 20, 2011 from The Heritage Foundation: http://www.heritage.org/index/country/barbadosBarbados Minimum Wage, Labor Law and Employment Data Sheet. (2011). Retrieved October 21, 2011 from Minimum-Wage.org: http://www.minimum-wage.org/international/en/BarbadosOffshore Company in the Bahamas. (2011). Accessed October 21, 2011 from offshorecompany.com: http://www.offshorecompany.com/company/bahamas.asp?c1=GAW_SE_NW&source=OFC_INC&kw=business_in_bahamas&cr5=5960140881&utm_source=GAW_SE_NWOFC_INC&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=business_in _bahamas &keyword=business_in_bahamas&mm_campaign=24ce0a789667d3a56f624af751Top 5 things to Learn About Doing Business in Barbados. (2010). Retrieved October 21, 2011 from Business Barbados: http://businessbarbados.com/why-barbados/5-reasons/