FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Barbados National Day Message
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 26, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Barbados as you celebrate 46 years of independence this November 30.
The United States and Barbados are united by shared history and strong cultural ties. Our collaboration in the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, advances our common aspirations and supports democracy, rule of law, and human rights. Our support for education through student and professional exchanges, programs for at-risk youth like Junior Achievement, and focus on budding entrepreneurs through the Cave Hill School of Business is helping to build a bright future for many.
I am confident that our joint efforts will result in increased security, improved access to health care and greater economic opportunities for all our citizens. As you gather to watch the Independence Day Parade and spend time with family and loved ones, know that the United States stands with you as a partner and friend.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
