Bridgetown is the capital and commercial centre and has a population of about 80 000. Bridgetown was originally named "Indian Bridge" for the rude bridge which had been constructed over the river (now known as the Careenage) by the Indians. It was later called the "town of St. Michael" in official documents, before finally being named Bridgetown when a new bridge was built in place of the Indian Bridge, sometime after 1654.
In previous times, the careenage (top photo) was an important hub of activity for inter-island trading vessels. Nowadays the careenage is mainly utilized by pleasure craft (catamarans, yachts, fishing boats, etc).
Broad Street is the main street of Bridgetown and consists mainly of banks, department stores and duty free shops. Other streets in Bridgetown such as Swan Street, Roebuck Street and Tudor Street consist mainly of smaller shops and businesses, together with wayside vendors.
The Parliament Buildings of Barbados (bottom photo) are located at the top of Broad Street. The Barbados Parliament was established in 1639 and is the third oldest Parliament in the entire Commonwealth.
Opposite the Parliament Buildings, you will find Trafalgar Square and a statue of Lord Nelson. The Lord Nelson statue, erected on 22 Mar 1813, is older than the statue and square of the same name and fame in London. Trafalgar Square was renamed National Heroes Square in April 1999, in honour of the national heroes of Barbados.
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