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Barbados is the only English speaking country that has a legislative
system older than that of the United States. It was first discovered but never
claimed by the Portuguese. It is a land rich in old country charm, friendly people
and beautiful beaches with over 3,000 hours of sunshine every year. A
small island, only 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, densely populated with an
economy based on inter-island trade, sugar production and tourism. Barbados remained
without nationality until 1605 when Captain Catlin and his crew landed to claim
it for James I of England. It has had a measure of self-government ever since
1639, and its House of Assembly is the third oldest parliament in the Commonwealth.
Barbados became an independent Commonwealth country in 1966, and operates
as a parliamentary democracy with the British Monarch as the official Head of
State. The Government of Barbados has created an International Business and Financial
Services Unit to develop Barbados' international financial sector, and offers
a range of tax and other incentives which make it ideal as an offshore domicile.
Offshore business represents a major growth area and is second to tourism in foreign
exchange earnings. There are 25 offshore banks licenced to operate in Barbados
and a total of 1,486 International Business Companies. RBC Royal Bank first opened a branch in Bridgetown, Barbados, on February 16, 1911,
with a staff of three, and in 1952 a sub-branch was established in the hotel district
at Hastings. The main branch occupies one of the most prominent sites in Bridgetown,
right next to the Houses of Parliament and National Heroes Square, and was rebuilt
in 2002. RBC Royal Bank - A full-service
retail and commercial branch network, offering to domestic and international clients,
products and services similar to Canadian branches. RBC Royal Bank has
a Private Banking Centre in Barbados where, in addition to day-to-day transactions,
clients can get assistance with individually tailored financial services such
as trust, planning, trade finance, real estate and more, all with absolute confidence
and confidentiality. Royal Bank of Canada (Caribbean)
Corporation - An offshore bank and a member of the RBC Wealth Management network serving both high net worth Private Clients and Corporate and Institutional Clients in the delivery of investment services including Investment Management, International Trust, and access to International banking services. Click
here for more information Royal Bank of Canada
Financial Corporation - A wholly owned domestic Trust Company offering
trust and administration services for both domestic and international trusts.
Royal Bank of Canada Insurance Company Ltd
- Offers services to captive insurance companies, with an increasing role in off-shore
insurance and re-insurance. Click here
for more information
Today, RBC Royal Bank operates seven
branches across the island, and several RoyalTouch™
Automated Banking Machines.
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