Geography of Barbados

Land in Barbados Made Up Mostly of Coralline Limestone

Barbados is an island that lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and is positioned in the area northeast of Venezuela. America’s New York City is about two times as big as Barbados. The island can also be compared to another area in the United States… it’s about two and a half times the size of Washington D.C. The land on the island is pretty much flat except for a central region that rises to 1,100 feet above sea level at its highest point. Like all islands in the Caribbean region, Barbados has a tropical, humid climate and it receives a lot of rain during the early summer months through the mid-fall months. The island sits right in the middle of warm waters, but because of its specific location, it is not as vulnerable for being directly hit by hurricanes as other islands in the area. Historically, the average number of years in between direct hurricane hits is 26.6. Barbados is surrounded by a coral reef which is home to all types of marine life. Snorkeling and scuba diving is a popular activity along the island because of its reefs’ age and beauty. The island itself is also made primarily of coralline limestone. The coralline limestone that makes up the island can support sugar crops, which are planted on over three quarters of the limestone surface. This crop grows relatively well on the island, but the land the crops sit on is always at risk of landslides due to the amount of rain the island regularly receives. Another common problem for crops in Barbados is the frequency of washouts due to heavy rains and falling rocks. There are small streams located on the island, mostly in the Scotland District. Other parts of the island do not contain many streams but this does not affect the ability to grow crops because it receives enough rain water to saturate the soil which is sufficient to sustain the plants. The heavy rains also produce underground water channels which, over thousands of years have produced caves and water pools. Barbados contains natural resources mostly consisting of fish, petroleum and natural gas. The island is relatively small but 37 percent of it is covered in land used for crops. Only 12 percent of the island is covered in natural forests. Barbados is the island that is farthest east in the Caribbean. Its location and climate are affected by winds which produce cool temperatures during the island’s dry season (December through June). There is more rain at higher elevations on the island, and it generally experiences humidity levels around 76 percent throughout the year. While the island receives relatively few direct hurricane hits, it does endure landslides on occasion due to heavy rains. The other environmental issues facing Barbados are mostly related to pollution. The majority of pollution comes from ships that dispose of their waste near the island and other types of illegal waste disposal in the waters surrounding Barbados. These types of pollution are affecting the island’s water supply and endangering the island’s wildlife on land and marine life in the water.