Barbados is considered the most British of the Caribbean islands. Whilst other parts of the Caribbean were fiercely fought over by competing colonial powers, Barbados remained a British crown colony until its independence in 1966.

The original Indian population - Arawaks and later Caribs - were taken into slavery by their Spanish conquerors. When the British took possession of the island in 1625, it was uninhabited. A few years later sugar cane plantations began to be established on Barbados. Jews came and settled from the Brazilian city of Recife where they were being persecuted. They were familiar with sugar cane cultivation and made a significant contribution to the swift growth of sugar production on Barbados. The famous synagogue in Bridgetown, now a national cultural monument, dates from this period. The sugar cane plantations were worked by forced labor, British convicts and above all slaves from West Africa. By the time slavery was abolished in 1838, Barbados had already lost its leading role in sugar production. The descendants of the African slaves now represent the majority of the population at over 90 percent.

The Crop Over Festival dates back to the days of the plantations. The festival was celebrated once the sugar harvest was safely gathered in. With the decline in the sugar industry and following serious social unrest at the end of the 1930s, the custom was abolished in 1940. A few years later the tradition was recalled and Crop Over began to be celebrated once again. Now the most popular festival on the island, it lasts for five weeks and draws tourists from all over the world.

Tourism has developed into the most important industry on Barbados and is responsible for around half of the gross national product. Since the introduction of the Offshore Banking Act in 1980 the island has also become a popular international financial center.