Bridgetown

The City of Bridgetown
Chamberlain Bridge spanning the Careenage, Bridgetown
Chamberlain Bridge spanning the Careenage, Bridgetown
The location of Bridgetown (the red star)
The location of Bridgetown (the red star)
Coordinates:
Country Barbados
Parish Saint Michael
Established 1628
Area
 - City 15.0 sq mi (38.8 km²)
Population (2006)
 - Metro 96,578
HDI (2006) 0.971 – high

The City of Bridgetown, metropolitan pop 96,578 (2006), is the capital and largest city of the nation of Barbados. Formerly, the Town of Saint Michael the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. The Bridgetown port is located at , on the southwestern coast of the island along Carlisle Bay. Parts of the Greater Bridgetown area lie along the borders of the neighbouring parishes Christ Church and St. James.

The present day location of the city was established by the British in 1628 following their settlement at James Town. Bridgetown is a major West Indies tourist destination, and the city acts as an important financial, informatics and convention centre in the Caribbean region.

Contents

Geography and climate

Suburbs of Bridgetown with Harbour in the background

The city of Bridgetown, and the wider Greater Bridgetown area occupy most of the parish of Saint Michael, an area which covers around 39km² (15 sq. mi). Bridgetown's centre was originally composed of a swamp, which was quickly drained and filled-in to make way for the city's early development.

At the heart of Bridgetown is the Careenage and Constitution River. This body of water provides the city with direct access from medium sized yachts or small craft boats. Although moderately shallow, the Careenage slices Bridgetown into two parts. During the rainy season the Constitution River flows into the Careenage area and acts as an outflow for water from the islands interior storm drainage network. Flowing into the Carlisle Bay on the southwest coast of the island, the Careenage can be observed as a marina for boaters entering or exiting the inner basin located directly in front of the Parliament buildings of Barbados.

Barbados has a tropical climate.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg high °C (°F) 28 (82.4) 28 (82.4) 29 (84.2) 30 (86) 31 (87.8) 31 (87.8) 32 (89.6) 32 (89.6) 31 (87.8) 30 (86) 29 (84.2) 28 (82.4)
Avg low temperature °C (°F) 21 (69.8) 21 (69.8) 21 (69.8) 22 (71.6) 23 (73.4) 23 (73.4) 23 (73.4) 23 (73.4) 23 (73.4) 23 (73.4) 23 (73.4) 22 (71.6)
Source: BBC Weather

Record Temps for Bridgetown: Record High: 33C (91.4 F) Record Low: 16C (60.8 F)

History

Although the island was totally abandoned or uninhabited when the British landed there, one of the few traces of indigenous pre-existence on the island was a primitive bridge constructed over the Careenage area's swamp at the centre of Bridgetown. It was suspected that this bridge was created by a people indigenous to the Caribbean known as the Arawak. Upon finding the structure the British settlers began to call what is now the Bridgetown area, Indian Bridge. It is widely believed that the Arawaks were driven from Barbados to the neighbouring island of Saint Lucia, during an invasion by another people indigenous to the region known as the Caribs. Eventually after 1654 when a new bridge was constructed over the Careenage by the British, the area became known as The Town of Saint Michael and later as Bridgetown, and the final name stuck.

Bridgetown is the only city outside continental North America that George Washington visited. (George Washington House, the actual house where he stayed, is now part of the Garrison Historic Area)

From 1800 until 1885 Bridgetown served as the main seat of Government for the former British colonies of the Windward Islands. During this period the resident Governor of Barbados also served as the Colonial head of the Windward Islands. After the Government of Barbados officially exited from the Windward Island union in 1885, the seat was moved from Bridgetown to St. George's on the neighbouring island of Grenada.

Barbados has been governed by the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) for the last thirteen years, commonly called the "Owen Arthur Administration". Prime Minister Owen S. Arthur was chosen from among leaders around the globe to deliver the William Wilberforce lecture on the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Amongst the breathtaking landscapes, and the fresh look of the city; Barbados attracts many investors from various fields. The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup tournament attracted thousands of visitors to the island and was a very prosperous event. The final match was played on Saturday April 28, 2007.

The city

A panorama of downtown Bridgetown, showing Chamberlain Bridge and Parliament Building
A panorama of downtown Bridgetown, showing Chamberlain Bridge and Parliament Building
Bridgetown Downtown
View from National Heroes Square, Bridgetown, Barbados, April 2007.jpg

In the centre lies the main street of Bridgetown which is Broad Street which runs directly through the centre of the city. Broad Street passes the Parliament Buildings and serves as the centre of city's shopping area.

Another major traffic artery into the city is Bay Street (which turns into Highway 7) and leads toward the South Coast of Barbados and the Parish of Christ Church. There are also other notable streets in Bridgetown, including:

-and-

Neighbourhoods

Landmarks/points of interest

Parliament Building
Nelson Statue

Attractions

Harbour

The Bridgetown Port (or "Deep Water Harbour" as its also known) is the major port of entry for cruise and cargo ships docking in Barbados. The Deep Water Harbour lies a short distance across Carlisle Bay northwest of the Careenage Canal. Found along the Princess Alice Highway, and west of the city's centre around Fontabelle.

The Harbour port acts as one of the major shipping and transhipment hubs from international locations for the entire Eastern Caribbean. Recently the Bridgetown Port was dredged to allow safe access and berthing for the new league of "super cruise ships". The dredging project was completed in 2002 and the city can now host many of the largest cruise ships in the world.

The port of Bridgetown also handles goods for the domestic needs of the island. The island's main exports of mainly agricultural products also make use of the harbour facilities.

Bridgetown also has a smaller canal in the centre of the city, named the Careenage, a.k.a. "Constitution River". The Constitution River should not be confused with the Deep Water Harbour. The smaller Constitution River feeding into the west coast lies about a half kilometer south of the large harbour. The Careenage is just large enough for pleasure craft or fishing boats and has two main bridges near the city center which span the shallow Careenage.

Society and culture

Colourful Bridgetown street

Bridgetown serves as a principal centre of commercial activity in Barbados, as well as a central hub for the island's public transport system. Many of the ministries and departments of the island's government are located within the Greater Bridgetown area. The Public Buildings or parliament, which stand at the heart of the city directly north of Heroes Square, house the third oldest continuous parliament in the British Commonwealth. Indeed, at one point in the city's early history, Bridgetown was the most important city of all British possessions in the New World due to the city's easterly location in the Caribbean region.

For a city of its size, the Greater Bridgetown area is home to several prestigious educational institutions. The city serves as the seat of one of the three campuses of the University of the West Indies in the northern suburb of Cave Hill. The campus sits on a bluff offering a spectacular view of Bridgetown and its port. The Barbados Community College is located three miles east of the Central Business District in a suburb known as "The Ivy", while the sprawling campus of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic is located just beyond the eastern limits of the city in a suburb known as "The Pine". In addition, the city houses such distinguished secondary schools as Harrison College, Combermere and The St.Michael School.

The City of Bridgetown also played host to the 1994 United Nations Global Conference on Sustainable Development of Small Islands States. Bridgetown has branches of some of the largest banks in the world and English-speaking Caribbean and is internationally recognised as an emerging financial domicile. The city is currently experiencing a phenomenal spurt of redevelopment in preparation for the 2007 World Cricket Cup Finals to be held at the historic Kensington Oval. The Oval is being renovated to a state-of-the-art sports facility that will accommodate 30,000 spectators. Live viewership for the 2007 event is estimated to be in the region of two billion people.

Utilities and local services

Today Bridgetown is a fully modern and thriving city, with access to many modern services including a piped water supply (said to be naturally among the purest in the world), electricity, natural gas supply, cutting-edge telecommunications, wireless services, internet cafes, and a good overall infrastructure. The city is also served by an impressive conference facility known as the Sherbourne Conference Centre.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Barbados

Barbados' main exports are Sugar, rum, and molasses. The island is also involved in other industries namely tourism and the offshore sector.

Stock exchange

The City of Bridgetown also has a well regulated stock exchange with securities of Barbadian and regional Caribbean companies.

Business/specifics

Business: Banks are open 8am-3pm, Hours: Monday to Thursday, and 8am-5pm on Fridays.

The main banks are:

Automatic Teller Machines are available.

Shops are open:

Payment cards are widely accepted.

Electricity: 115 volts AC, 50 cycles. Most hotels have 220 AC.

Telecommunications: the international dialing code for Barbados is 1-246 followed by seven digits. On the island, use the seven digits alone. When on the island, to call anywhere in the United States or Canada simply dial 1+ (area code) + seven digit phone number.

Emergency Numbers: Police: 211 (emergency only) Fire: 311 Ambulance: 511 Coast Guard and Defense Force: (246) 427-8819

Time: GMT-4

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Barbados

The city has access to daily flights via the island's Airport the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) located on the ABC Highway/Highway 7 in Seawell, Christ Church. The city of Bridgetown and New York City in the United States, were the only cities in the western hemisphere to be served by regularly scheduled British Airways Concorde flights. Additionally, the GAIA has been chosen as one of only four global display sites for the retired supersonic aircraft. The Airport is currently in the final stages of an expansion project, which will also include the construction of an aviation museum to house the retired Concorde aircraft.

All seven of Barbados's primary Highways begin close to the City of Bridgetown, in the Parish of Saint Michael. They all fan out to the north, south and east to other parts of the island. Driving is done of the left-hand side of the road with a speed limit of 60 km/h (around 38 miles per hour) in built-up areas. The speed limit on the ABC Highway is generally 80 km/h (50 mph) except in built-up areas. Water transport is regulated by the Barbados Port Authority.

Public buses

Public buses that head northward to destinations such as Holetown and Speightstown, and to some locations in St. Michael including the University of the West Indies - (Cave Hill Campus), leave from the Princess Alice Bus Terminal which lies to the west of the city centre. Buses for points east and south leave from the Fairchild Street Bus Terminal, which is on the eastern edge of the city centre, near to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Route taxis

Route taxis are privately owned mini vans that are a cross between taxis and buses. They follow certain routes around the island. You can easily flag one of these down and for a low fare they'll take you pretty much anywhere.

Re-development

Sister cities

Bridgetown is a sister city with some of the following cities:

See also

References

External links

Capitals of North America