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
The Republic of Cuba is a large island in the Caribbean off the south coast of Florida. It has a total area of 110, 860 km2. The climate is tropical; moderated by trade winds. It has a dry season from November to April and a rainy season from May to October. The terrain is mostly flat to rolling plains with rugged hills and mountains in the south-east. Natural resources are cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica. The religion is about 85% Roman Catholic. The language is Spanish.
Cuba was claimed by Christopher Columbus for Spain in 1492 and settled in 1511 as a Spanish colony based upon sugar plantations worked by slaves. In 1523 the indigenous Arawakpopulation had been wiped out and new slaves were imported. Attempts to put an end to slavery were made in 1820 and 1845 without result; but in 1868 a law, designed gradually to put an end to slavery, was passed. In that year commenced an insurrectionary struggle against the mother country, which lasted for ten years. The final abolition of slavery dates only from 1886. In 1898 Cuba became independent of Spain, only to be ceded to the USA following the Spanish American War, and in 1901 Cuba declared itself a republic, becoming independent in 1902 with the USA retaining its naval base on the island (at Guantanamo Bay) and the right to intervene in internal politics until 1934.
Dominica (officially the Commonwealth of Dominica) is an island country in the Caribbean. The island was originally occupied by the Arawak, and then later the Carib peoples.
Christopher Columbus discovered the island on a Sunday in 1493, hence the name from the Spanish dominica meaning Sunday, but the occupants resisted colonisation until the French gained control of the island in 1632. Having been ceeded to Britain by France in 1763 the island became part of the Leeward Islands' dependancy in 1833 and remained so until it joined the Windward Islands' group in 1940. In 1967 the island achieved internal self-rule and in 1978 full independence.
Dominica is rugged and mountainous, but it contains many fertile valleys and is well watered. The shores are but little indented, and are entirely without harbours; but on the west side there are several good anchorages and bays. Both and English and French are spoken in Dominica, with English being the official language. The religion is predominantly Roman Catholic. Research Dominica
Abbreviations
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