Barbados is the easternmost island in the Caribbean archipelago, sitting just outside the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean. Barbados gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. Throughout its history, the island has always been internally self-governed and can boast of having the third oldest Parliament outside of the United Kingdom.
Barbados is a traditional common law jurisdiction which, over its life, has codified a significant body of business, civil and social laws. It continues to work on legislation to allow it to compete on a level playing field with many small island international business destinations, as well as many larger Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states.
Barbados has remained politically stable from the time it was settled by the British in 1624. Unlike its sister islands in the Lesser Antilles, Barbados never changed hands between its colonization and its independence. However, during the Cromwellian era, the population of Barbados declared its allegiance to the Crown and declared Barbados to be an independent state. This declaration came in 1650, which was 126 years before the American declaration of independence. The Parliament of Barbados was created in 1633. The county continues to be a Parliamentary Democracy with a Governor General as the Head of State, and the Prime Minister as Head of Government. It continues to be governed in the Westminster style of government.