Monkton
Insurance Services Limited
Barbados
is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands and is situated 1600 miles south east
of Miami.
The total land area is 166 square miles with a population of approximately 275,000.
The early settlement of Barbados was carried out by the British in 1627. The island
remained a British colony until 1966 when Barbados became a fully independent sovereign
nation.
The Barbados parliament is modeled on the Westminster system of government,
and consists of an elected House of Assembly with 27 members and a nominated Senate
with 21 members. There are three main political parties and the Queen's representative
and official head of state is the Governor General. The Cabinet, presided over by
the Prime Minister, is responsible for day to day governmental operations.
Barbados is situated in the tropics with year round temperatures averaging 28°c
(82°f) with average annual rainfall of 54 inches.
Historically, the economy of the island centred around the sugar industry. However,
this has been overtaken by the growth of tourism, manufacturing and international
financial services.
Since 1977, Barbados has developed into a sound financial
base for international business companies, offshore banks, foreign sales corporations,
offshore trusts, Societies with Restricted Liability, and exempt insurance companies.
Barbados has excellent telephone, facsimile, internet and postal services. Courier
services delivers mail to or from the United States and Canada the following day
and covers all parts of the world with prompt delivery schedules.
The island
is accessible by daily jet services from Miami, New York, London, and Toronto.