Map of Barbados | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Its economy remained heavily dependent on sugar rum and molasses production through most of the 20th century. Tourism and manufacturing are gaining in economic importance.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 97 km

Maritime claims
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation

Natural resources: crude oil, fishing, natural gas

Land use: 77% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 14% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: easternmost Caribbean island


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Population: 262,688 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Barbadian(s; adjective--Barbadian

Ethnic groups: 80% African, 16% mixed, 4% European

Languages: English

Religions: 70% Anglican, 9% Methodist, 4% Roman Catholic, 17% other, including Moravian

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 18 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 5 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 77 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 2.1 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: none

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Bridgetown

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--there may a new city of Bridgetown

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Hugh SPRINGER (since 24 February 1984; Head of Government--Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)

Legislative branch: Royal Barbados Defense Force, Royal Barbados Police Force, Coast Guard

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Sir William DOUGLAS; Chancery at 2,144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 939-9,200 through 9,202; there is a Barbadian Consulate General in New York and a Consulate in Los Angeles; US--Ambassador-nominee G. Philip HUGHES; Embassy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown (mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown or FPO Miami 34,054; telephone (809) 436-4,950 through 4,957

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, 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)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: A per capita income of $5,250 gives Barbados the highest standard of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. A high unemployment rate of about 19% in 1988 remains one of the most serious economic problems facing the country.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 10% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops--vegetables and cotton; not self-sufficient in food

Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Industrial production growth rate: - 5.4% (1987 est.)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 18.6% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $476 million; expenditures $543 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (FY86)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $173 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, crude oil

Imports: $582 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Partners: US 34%, CARICOM, Japan, UK, Canada

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $635 million (December 1989 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1--2.0113 (fixed rate)


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Electricity
Capacity: 132,000 kW capacity; 460 million kWh produced, 1,780 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.6% of GDP (1986)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,200 GRT/7,338 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs