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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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| Introduction | Barbados | Top of Page

Background: | The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.

| Geography | Barbados | Top of Page

Location: | Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: | 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean
Area: | total: 431 sq km land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: | 0 km
Coastline: | 97 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: | tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: | relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources: | petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use: | arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 50 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards: | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Environment - current issues: | pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | easternmost Caribbean island

| People | Barbados | Top of Page

Population: | 279,912 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 28,160/female 28,039) 15-64 years: 71.1% (male 97,755/female 101,223) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,508/female 15,227) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 34.6 years male: 33.4 years female: 35.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.37% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 12.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 8.67 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 72.79 years male: 70.79 years female: 74.82 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 1.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 2,500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality: | noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic groups: | black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Religions: | Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Languages: | English
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.)

| Government | Barbados | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados
Government type: | parliamentary democracy
Capital: | name: Bridgetown geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions: | 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Independence: | 30 November 1966 (from UK)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution: | 30 November 1966
Legal system: | English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)
Political parties and leaders: | Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]
International organization participation: | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York consulate(s): Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379
Flag description: | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

| Economy | Barbados | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $4.815 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $2.964 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 4.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $17,300 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 6% industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.)
Labor force: | 128,500 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 10% industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 10.7% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | -0.5% (2003 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $847 million (including grants) expenditures: $886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products: | sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Industries: | tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Industrial production growth rate: | -3.2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production: | 819 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption: | 761.7 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 1,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - consumption: | 10,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves: | 1.254 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production: | 29.17 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 29.17 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 141.6 million cu m (1 January 2002)
Exports: | $209 million (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: | sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Exports - partners: | US 18.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 12.1%, Saint Lucia 8.4%, Jamaica 7.9%, Grenada 4.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.6% (2005)
Imports: | $1.476 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: | consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports - partners: | NZ 45.9%, US 20.3%, Trinidad and Tobago 12% (2005)
Debt - external: | $668 million (2003)
Economic aid - recipient: | $9.1 million (1995)
Currency (code): | Barbadian dollar (BBD)
Exchange rates: | Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001)
Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March

| Communications | Barbados | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 134,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 206,200 (2005)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus two cable channels) (2004)
Internet country code: | .bb
Internet hosts: | 282 (2006)
Internet users: | 160,000 (2005)

| Transportation | Barbados | Top of Page

Airports: | 1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Roadways: | total: 1,600 km paved: 1,600 km (2003)
Merchant marine: | total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5) registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals: | Bridgetown

| Military | Barbados | Top of Page

Military branches: | Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Coast Guard (2005)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 71,524 females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 54,510 females age 18-49: 54,889 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | NA
Military - note: | the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2005)

| Transnational Issues | Barbados | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration that will result in a binding award challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters and the southern limit of Barbadian traditional fishing; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs: | one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006