Barbados is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies in the Atlantic. It has a population of around 300,000 people and was originally ruled by the Portuguese and then British until it gained independence in 1966. However, Queen Elizabeth II remains the Head of State. Some key facts about Barbados are that its independence day is November 30th, it uses the Barbadian dollar, cricket is the most popular sport, and Rihanna is its most famous current celebrity export.