Map of Barbados | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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
Total: 430 km²
Land: 430 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 97 km
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, fishing, natural gas

Land use
Arable land: 77%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 9%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 14%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 255,338 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.18% (1993 est.)

Nationality: adjective: Barbadian

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

Languages: English

Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.18% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 15.78 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 8.53 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.49 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)
Current issues note: easternmost Caribbean island

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 21.3 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.49 years
Male: 70.75 years
Female: 76.46 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Barbados

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital: Bridgetown

Administrative divisions:

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

Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER
In the us chancery: 2,144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 939-9,200 through 9,202
In the us consulate general: New York
In the us consulate: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES
From the us embassy:
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Box B, FPO AA 34,054
From the us telephone: (809) 436-4,950 through 4,957
From the us fax: (809) 429-5,246

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) 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. The economy slowed in 1990-91, however, and Bridgetown's declining hard currency reserves and inability to finance its deficits have caused it to adopt an austere economic reform program.

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -4% (1991)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 8% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops - vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food

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

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -1.3% (1991; accounts for 10% of GDP

Labor force: 120,900 (1991)
By occupation services and government: 37%
By occupation commerce: 22%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 22%
By occupation transportation storage communications and financial institutions: 9%
By occupation agriculture: 8%
By occupation utilities: 2% (1985est.)

Unemployment rate: 23% (1992)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $547 million; expenditures $620 million (FY92-93), including capital expenditures of $60 million

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

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: $205.8 million (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment
Partners: CARICOM 31%, US 16%, UK 13%

Imports: $697 million (c.i.f., 1991)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction materials, chemicals
Partners: US 34%, CARICOM 16%, UK 11%, Canada 6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

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 access

Electricity production: 152,100 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 2,118 kWh per capita (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)

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
Usable: 1
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 0

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs