Barbados (formerly known as Barbadoes during the 19th century) is an island in the Caribbean, and the most eastern-most island of the Windward Islands. It has a total area of 430 km2. The climate is tropical with a rainy season from June to October. The terrain is relatively flat; rising gently to a central highland region. Natural resources are crude oil, fishing, natural gas. The religion is 70% Anglican, 9% Methodist, 4% Roman Catholic, 17% other, including Moravian The language is English. Originally occupied by the Arawak, they died out following European settlement. In 1624 the British settled on the island and Barbados remained a British colony until its independence in 1966. On the 10th of October, 1780, Barbados was struck by a violent storm which killed more than 4000 (estimated at perhaps 10% of its population). By the start of the 19th century the soil of Barbados had been exhausted and the island was in serious decline, until in 1813 a vast dense cloud of volcanic ash fell and covered the entire island, replenishing the soil with nutrients and restoring fertility to the island. Research Barbados
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