INSTITUTO UNIVERSITARIO PEDAGOGICO DE CARACAS DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS INTRODUCCION A LA LITERATURA Y CULTURA DE LOS PAISES DE HABLA INGLESA

By Santiago Prez Caracas, January 2011

Caribbean Sea

General Information
Official Name: Barbados

Capital City : Bridgetown Population: 286,705 (July 2011 est.) Land Extension: 430 sq km. Flag Coat of Arms

History
Prehistoric Barbados is believed to have been inhabited by cavedwellers of the Siboney culture, from Florida. Before the 1400: Arawaks arrived from South America and suffered the invasions and of the Caribs. 1500: Spanish and Portuguese sailors had sighted the island.

1518: Spanish colonists from Hispaniola invaded. No Spanish settlement was made, as there appeared to be no mineral resources.
1625: It was formally claimed for King James I of England.

1627: English immigrants settled there and King Charles I granted a Barbados patent to Lord Carlisle

Between 1627 and 1640, the island was settled by British colonists, who brought with them indentured labour from Britain and some enslaved Africans, to produce tobacco, cotton and indigo
1639: the first house of assembly is created and it is ruled by the plantation owners. 1650s: The introduction of sugar had led to the development of large plantations.

1702: Harsh working conditions led to slave revolts in 745 plantations that were worked by African and African-descended slaves.

1816: Slavery was abolished in the Island. 1951: Universal adult suffrage was granted.
1954: the ministerial system was created followed by cabinet government in 1958.

1966: Barbados became an independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth. 1986: the DLP led by Errol Barrow, won a decisive election victory. 1991:Erskine Sandiford became minister (Emergence of a new poor). prime

Government
Based on the British Parliament Head of State: Elizabeth II Governor General : Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands (1996-October 31 2011)
Prime Minister: Hon. Freundel J. Stuart

Government
The Senate: His Hon. Sen. Dr. Brandford Taitt. 21 members. 12 chosen by PM, 7 chosen by Governor General (Religion, Social, economic and other) and 2 chosen by the leader of opposition. The House of Assembly: 31 members elected by adult suffrage.

Political Parties
Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Hon. Owen S. Arthur, M.P
Democratic Labour Party (DLP)

Land Distribution
Highest Point: Mount Hillaby Lowest Point: Caribbean sea
Eleven Parishes: Saint Andrew Saint James Saint Joseph Saint Lucy Saint Peter Saint Thomas Christ Church Saint Goerge Saint Micheal Saint Phillips Saint John

People and Culture.

Population distribution 286,705. About 90% of the population is of African descent, 4% European descent, and 6% Asian or mixed Official Languages English (Bajan, an dialect, is widely used) English-African

Culture and people

Religion: Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6%

Education: There are 12 years of education starting at age five. Primary school has seven years and secondary six. It is supported by the government.

Economy
Unemployment: 12.5% (3rd. Qtr 2011) GDP growth: $3.963 billion (2010 est.) GDP rate: 0.5% (2010 est.) GDP per capita: $21,800 (2010 est.) CPI inflation: 8.7% (Oct. 2011) National debt: 102.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Currency: Barbados Dollar (BDS$2 = U.S. $1.)

Resources
Natural resources: quarrying, natural gas. Petroleum, fish,

Imports: Consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components.
Exports: Manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components

Literature
Richard Ligon Oliver Jackman Geoffrey Drayton Austin Clarke John Wickham George Lamming Edward Kamau Braithwaite H.A. Vaughn

Saint Kitts and Nevis

History
1493 St Christopher (St Kitts) was sighted by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage. 1623 It was colonised by the English under Sir Thomas Warner. 1624 Another part of the island was colonised by the French.

during the 17th and 18th century the two powers fought over the island until St Kitts was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Versailles (1783). 1628 Nevis was settled by the English. 1816 the islands were administered, along with Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, as a single colony.

1871 the islands became part of the Leeward Islands Federation. 1967 The two islands, together with Anguilla, assumed the status of association with the UK.
1976 The country, as the Federation of St Christopher and Nevis, got internal selfgovernment. 1983 The country got its independence from the UK.

General Information
Official Name: The Federation of Saint Crhistopher and Nevis
Capital City : Basseterre Population: 50,314 (July 2011 est.) Land Extension: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km) Coat of Arms Flag

Government
Based on the British Parliament Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II Governor General : Cuthbert M. Sebastian Prime Minister: Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas

Government
Unicameral parliament: 14 member House of Assembly comprises 11 elected members and 3 nominated members (two nominated on the advice of the Prime Minister and one on the advice of the leader of the opposition). Nevis has its own five seat island administration and it is guaranteed representation in the House of Assembly.

Political Parties
St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas

Pepoles Action Movement. Lindsay Grant.

Land Distribution
Highest Point: Mount Liamuiga on St. Kitts.

Highest Point: Nevis Peak on Nevis

Lowest Point: Caribbean sea

Fourteen Parishes: Christ Chruch Nochola Town Saint Anne Sandy Point Saint Goerge Basseterre Saint Goerge Gingerland Saint James Windward Saint John Capisterre Saint John Figtree Saint Mary Canyon Saint Paul Capisterre Saint Paul Charleston Saint Peter Basseterre Saint Thomas Lowland Saint Thomas Middle Island Trinity Palmetto Point

People and Culture.

Population distribution Predominantly of African origin; some of British, Portuguese, and Lebanese descent. Official Languages English (Kittisian and Nevisian, EnglishAfrican dialects, are widely used)

Culture and people

Religion: Principally Anglican, with Evangelical Protestant and Roman Catholic minorities. Education: There are 12 years of education starting at age five. Primary school has seven years and secondary six. It is supported by the government. it participates in the regional University of the West Indies, which has campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Economy
Unemployment: 5.1% (2006 est) GDP growth: $531 million (2010 est.) GDP rate: -1.5% (2010 est.) GDP per capita:$13,700 (2010 est.) CPI inflation: 5.3% (2006 est) National debt:185% of GDP (2009 est.)
Currency:East Caribbean Dollar (EC$2.70 = U.S. $1.)

Resources
Natural resources: sugarcane, rice, yams, vegetables, bananas; fish Imports: machinery, manufactures, food, fuels. Exports: machinery, food, electronics, beverages, tobacco.

Literature
Mr. Caryl Phillips

Ms. Carol Otteley-Mitchel

Conclusions