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Barbados

was not found or named by Christopher Columbus! Despite its small size, Barbados is home to many people. In fact, it is one of the most crowded countries in the world. Why do people want to live on this triangle-shaped island? A few reasons, among many, may be the lush vegetation, the coral reefs, the sandy beaches, and the warm tropical breezes. A Look Around Most of Barbados is flat, although there is a gentle rise in the center of the island. Unlike the other islands of the Caribbean, which are primarily volcanic, Barbados is a low-lying island atop a coral limestone formation that geologists think may be close to 600,000 years old. The entire island is surrounded by coral reefs. These help protect the island from the continuing push of the ocean’s waves. However, in recent years pollution has been breaking down these reefs and damaging the beaches. In recent years, the government of Barbados has established a conservation program to help stop this process. While other islands in the Lesser Antilles tend to have mountains, Barbados does not. Its highest point, Mount Hillaby, rises only 1,104 feet (337

aviary— a place where birds are kept. limestone— a common sedimentary rock, containing calcium, which is typically formed from the skeletal remains of marine organisms over millions of years. Words to Understand in This Chapter