Barbados: Flag and Facts
Barbados has a flag of three vertical stripes, two of ultramarine blue framing one of gold, where a black trident head sits.
- Capital
- Bridgetown
- Region
- Caribbean
- Population
- 304,139 (2024)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Barbadian dollar
- Area
- 430 km² (166 sq mi)
- People
- Barbadian
- Calling code
- +1246
- Highest point
- Mount Hillaby 336 m
- Independence
- 30 November 1966 (from the UK)
- National symbols
- Neptune's trident, pelican, red bird of paradise flower (also known as "Pride of Barbados")
- Borders
- No land borders
About Barbados
The two blue stripes stand for the sea and sky, while gold means the beaches. The trident head shows independence and a clean break with the past, and Neptune's trident is listed among the national symbols alongside the pelican and a flower nicknamed the "Pride of Barbados."
Nobody lived on the island when British settlers arrived in 1627. Enslaved Africans were forced to work the sugar plantations, and for a time Barbados led the Caribbean sugar trade, until the Leeward Islands and Jamaica passed it by 1720. Slavery ended in 1834. Independence from the UK came on 30 November 1966, and by the 1990s tourism and manufacturing mattered more than sugar. Barbados became a republic in 2021.
Did you know?
- Mount Hillaby, the high point of Barbados, is only 336 meters tall.
- The rainy season in Barbados lasts from June to October.
- Barbados uses its own currency, the Barbadian dollar.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Barbados
What is the capital of Barbados?
Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados.
When did Barbados become a republic?
Barbados became a republic in 2021, after gaining independence from the UK in 1966.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.