There are no rivers in this part of the island, although there are steep-sided gullies down which water runs in wet weather. Rainwater runs through caves in the limestone, one of which, Harrison s Cave, has been developed as a tourist attraction. The island s water supply is pumped up from the limestone. In the Scotland District in the northeast, the coral limestone has been eroded and older, softer rocks are exposed. There are rivers here, which have cut deep, steep-sided valleys.
Landslides make agriculture and construction hazardous and often destroy roads.
Barbados has a population of 265,000. This is more than any of the Windwards or Leewards, and is considered enough to make the island one of the big four in the Caribbean Community. With population density of 1,596 per square mile in 1997, Barbados is one of the most crowded countries in the world. Because Barbados lies upwind from the main island arc, it was hard to attack from the sea, so it never changed hands in the colonial wars of the 17th and 18th centuries. There is no French, Dutch, or Spanish influence to speak of in the language, cooking or culture.