THE FACTS ABOUT BARBADOS

CAPITAL Bridgetown
AREA430 sq km
POPULATION 264,000
LANGUAGE English
CURRENCY Barbados dollar
TIME GMT -5 hours
TELEPHONE CODES 00 246
ELECTRICITY 110V, 50Hz

MORE FACTS
Visas: Visas are required for citizens from China, Taiwan, Pakistan, non-Commonwealth African countries and all South American countries except Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. All visitors are officially required to be in possession of an onward or return ticket.

Public holidays: New Year's Day; Good Friday; Easter Monday; Whit-Monday; Labour Day; Kadooment Day (first Monday in August); United Nations Day (first Monday in October); Independence Day (30 Nov); Christmas; Boxing Day.

Good buys: Arts, crafts and duty free products.

Local dishes: Flying fish (which does not really fly), chicken, steak, cou-cou (a mixture of cornmeal and okra), and pepperpot (a spicy stew).