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Barbados, or as known by the British "Little England", is an Independent island nation situated on the boundary of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The island is about 434.5 km (270 miles) north-east of Venezuela.

Following independence in 1966, Barbadian calypso became more popular, especially the white band The Merrymen, known for songs like "Brudda Neddy" and "Millie Gone to Brazil". Jackie Opel, a Barbaian singer, also arose, playing a blend of calypso and reggae that evolved into spouge music. Spouge was immensely popular in Barbados from about 1969 to 1973. In 1974, the Crop Over Festival was revived, featuring calypso competitions; as a result, calypso's popularity grew, rapidly overshadowing spouge and other genres, with only dub music achieving equal stature.

Barbados has one of the highest standards of living and literacy rates in the world and is currently according to the UN, the #1 developing country in the world. The island is a major tourist destination.

Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has been diversified into the manufacturing and tourism sectors. Offshore finance and information services have become increasingly important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a healthy interest into the island's light manufacturing sector. In the last ten years the Government has been seen as business-friendly and economically sound. Since the late 1990's the island has seen an increasing construction boom, the island began to see new hotels, re-developments, new homes, office complexes, condos, and mansions being developed across the island.

With the slave population approaching three times the white population, many slave owners feared revolts. This led to the Slave Consolidation Act in 1826, which reaffirmed the ban on drums and horns. Christian missionaries also discouraged the performance of African music, which pushed the field underground, where it was passed through secret societies and rituals.

Traditional trading partners include: Canada, the Caribbean Community (especially Trinidad and Tobago), the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Some hotels also provide visitors with shuttles to points of interest on the island. Hotel shuttles generally leave right outside of the Hotel's lobby. The island also has an abundance of Taxis-for-hire, visitors staying on the island may find this an expensive option, most hired-taxis will take you to points of interest but they can be expensive, visitors also have the option of car and vehicles rentals in Barbados, presuming they have a valid drivers license from their native country. Many of Barbados' annual visitors are repeat visitors.

The bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Assembly and Senate. The 28 members of the House are elected by universal suffrage to 5-year terms. Elections may be called at any time the government wishes to seek a new mandate or if the government suffers a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. The Senate's 21 members are appointed by the governor general--12 with the advice of the prime minister, two with the advice of the leader of the opposition, and seven at the governor general's discretion.