Barbadians or Bajans
(pronounced ) are people who are identified with the country of
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
, by being citizens or their descendants in the Barbadian diaspora. The connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Barbadians, several (or all) of those connections exist and are collectively the source of their identity. Barbadians are a
multi-ethnic
Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...
and
multicultural
The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
society of various ethnic, religious and national origins; therefore Barbadians do not necessarily equate their ethnicity with their Barbadian nationality.
Ethnic groups
Most Barbadians are of African or mixed-race descent. They are descendants of slaves brought from West Africa. White Barbadians are mainly of British and Irish descent. There is also a small population of Syrians, Lebanese, Jewish, Indian and Chinese people in the country.
Diaspora
Many Barbadians now live overseas and outside of Barbados; the majority have migrated to
Anglophone
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...
countries, including around 65,000 in the United States, 37,780
in Canada, some 19,000
in the United Kingdom, and some 500–1,000 Barbadians in
Liberia. In addition to Anglophone countries other groups of Barbadians have moved to Latin countries including
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
.
‘LONG LOST’ BAJANS IN PANAMA – LOOKING FOR FAMILY IN BARBADOS, CAN YOU HELP?
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List of notable Barbadians
See also
* Barbadian nationality law
Barbadian nationality law is regulated by 1966 Constitution of Barbados, as amended; the Barbados Citizenship Act, as amended; and various British Nationality laws. These laws determine who is, or is eligible to be, a national of Barbados. B ...
* Demographics of Barbados
* Afro-Barbadians
Black Barbadians or African Barbadians are Barbadians of entirely or predominantly African descent.
92.4% of Barbados' population is black and 3.1% is multiracial based on estimates in 2010.
Origins
Most of the enslaved Africans brought to B ...
* Barbadian Americans
Barbadian (or Bajan) Americans are Americans of Barbados heritage or ancestry. The 2000 Census recorded 53,785 US residents born on the Caribbean island 52,170 of whom were born to non-American parents and 54,509 people who described their ethnic ...
* Barbadian Brazilians
Barbadian Brazilians ( pt, Barbadiano-brasileiro) or Bajans, refers to Brazilian people of full, partial or predominantly Barbadian ancestry, or Barbadian-born people residing in Brazil.
At the beginning of the 20th century, many Barbadians wor ...
* Barbadian British
Barbadian British people, Bajan Brits or British Barbadians, are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the Caribbean island of Barbados. The UK is home to the second largest Barbadian-born mi ...
* Barbadian Canadians
Barbadian Canadian or Bajan Canadian, refers to Canadian citizens of Barbadian descent or Barbados-born people who resides in Canada. According to the 2016 Census 37,780 Canadians claimed full or partial Barbadian ancestry. Barbadian Canadians ha ...
* Island Caribs
References
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