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Geography

Barbados Geography

Want to know all about the geography of Barbados? Well, look no further because Totally Barbados has all you need to know, right here.

Barbados is the most easterly island in the Caribbean island chain, otherwise known as the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies. Located east of both Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and 250 miles north-east of Trinidad and Tobago.

Local tourism officials boast (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) that the sun rises first on Barbados’ blessed island, also affectionately known as the ‘jewel of the Caribbean.’

In our Totally Barbados geographic profile, you’ll learn all about the island’s composition, topography, and unique geographical location, as well as some interesting and quirky facts.

Location The island of Barbados is situated above South America, northeast of Venezuela and north of Guyana.

The Atlantic Ocean sits to the east of Barbados, and the calmer Caribbean Sea to the west.
Coordinates Latitude 13 10′ N of the equator, longitude 59 32′ W of the Prime Meridian
Neighbors St. Lucia (northwest of Barbados), St. Vincent and the Grenadines(west of Barbados), Trinidad and Tobago (southwest of Barbados), Guyana (southeast).
Land Area 431 square kilometers (or 166 square miles)
23 km (14 miles) at widest point
34 km (21 miles) long
Topography Barbados’ terrain is relatively flat in comparison to the other Caribbean islands; however, there is a gentle rise towards a central highland region of the island.

The highest point on the island is Mount Hillaby, which measures approximately 1 115 feet above sea level and is located in the Scotland District in the parish of St. Andrew.

Note: The lowest point on the island is the Atlantic Ocean.

Apart from some large sugarcane estates and pastures, there are a few marshes, mangrove swamps, and wetlands in some island regions.

There are also areas of lush countryside in particular parishes of Barbados, where you’ll also find temperatures dropping and a cool breeze blowing through.

The island has its own interesting and quirky geographical characteristics and features that make them all individually unique – you’ll find there’s flatlands, uplands, terraces, and rugged cliffs, caves, tropical rainforests, as well as valleys.

Unlike some of the neighboring Caribbean islands, Barbados is non-volcanic and is primarily composed of coral limestone (over 80%), meaning that Barbados’ drinking water is of very high quality.
Territorial Waters Territorial sea – 12 nautical miles
Exclusive economic zone – 200 nautical miles
Water Area 69 569 square kilometers

Want To Know More?

Because Barbados is nestled just north of the equator, the climate is considered to be moderately tropical.

Temperatures tend to range from between 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit (27-30 degrees Celsius) and 70 – 76% humidity for most of the year through.

December to May is considered the dry season in Barbados and is also considered the ‘winter’ period.

The wet season begins in June and runs until November, also considered the ‘summer’ months for the island. This season also brings the Caribbean hurricane season with it, although Barbados is, fortunately, more often than not, spared the direct hit of any major storm or weather system.

For more information on Barbados’ climate, please visit our Weather and Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, and Depressions pages.

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By: Brett Callaghan
Last Updated: November 7th, 2020
Publisher: Totally Barbados

About Totally Barbados (Edit profile)

Brett Callaghan is the founder and managing director of Totally Barbados. I specialize in writing content for the tourism industry for my island home of Barbados. I help companies build strategies to grow online businesses with SMART marketing, advertising, and social media goals.

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