Barbados' 11 Parishes: The Island's Administrative Divisions

Barbados is divided into 11 parishes — a system inherited from 17th-century Anglican ecclesiastical organization that became the civil administrative framework.

The 11 Parishes (Alphabetical)

1. Christ Church — South coast; tourism corridor (Oistins, St. Lawrence Gap), Grantley Adams Airport
2. Saint Andrew — East central; rugged, rural, Scotland District geological formation
3. Saint George — Interior; Gun Hill Signal Station, historic plantation great houses
4. Saint James — West coast; "Platinum Coast" luxury tourism (Holetown, Paynes Bay)
5. Saint John — East coast; rugged Atlantic shore, Codrington College (theological)
6. Saint Joseph — Central-east; rural, agricultural, Hackleton's Cliff
7. Saint Lucy — North tip; Animal Flower Cave, rugged cliffs, most rural
8. Saint Michael — Southwest; Bridgetown (capital), Garrison, major commercial
9. Saint Peter — Northwest; Speightstown, Mullins, luxury villas, Farley Hill ruins
10. Saint Philip — Southeast; Crane Beach, Sam Lord's Castle, rural
11. Saint Thomas — Central; Harrison's Cave, Welchman Hall Gully, interior

Parish Characteristics

Governance

• No parish-level elected government (centralized unitary state)
• Parishes serve for: electoral constituencies, land registration, statistics, church organization
• Constituencies (30) cross parish boundaries

Historical Note

Parish boundaries largely follow 1629-1645 land grants to original proprietors. The system has remained stable for nearly 400 years—remarkable continuity in a postcolonial state.