Statistical information Barbados 1995

Barbados in the World
top of pageBackground: 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. In the 1990s tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
top of pageLocation: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Central America and the CaribbeanAreaTotal area total: 430 km²
Land: 430 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claimsExclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
ElevationNatural resources: petroleum, fishing, natural gas
Land useArable land: 77%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 9%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 14%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: easternmost Caribbean island
top of pagePopulation: 256,395 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 0.24% (1995 est.)
NationalityNoun: Barbadian(s)
Adjective: Barbadian
Ethnic groups: African 80%, European 4%, other 16%
Languages: English
Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 24% (female 30,175; male 31,507)
15-64 years: 66% (female 86,103; male 82,727)
65 years and over: 10% (female 15,849; male 10,034) (July 1995 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 0.24% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.45 births/1000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.82 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
Current issues natural hazards: hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic landslides
Current issues international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 19.2 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 74.16 years
Male: 71.47 years
Female: 77.06 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970)
Total population: 99%
Male: 99%
Female: 99%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Barbados
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: the new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Dependent areasIndependence: 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990)
Head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6 September 1994)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament
Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Assembly: election last held 6 September 1994 (next to be held by January 1999); results - percentage vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) DLP 8, BLP 19, NDP 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Courtney BLACKMAN
In the us chancery: 2,144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-9,218, 9,219
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 332-7,467
In the us consulates general: Miami and New York
In the us consulates: Los Angeles
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanette W. HYDE
From the us embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34,055
From the us telephone: [1] (809) 436-4,950
From the us FAX: [1] (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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: A per capita income of $9,200 gives Barbados one of the highest standards 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. A moderate recovery that began in late 1993 after 3 years of contraction is mainly due to increased tourism and expansion in the construction sector. Economic prospects for 1995 depend mostly on continued growth in the industrialized countries, especially in Europe, which would spur further expansion in tourism.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $9,200 (1994 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 6% 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
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (FY93/94 est.), accounts for about 10% of GDP
Labor force: 124,800 (1992)
By occupation services and government: 41%
By occupation commerce: 15%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 18%
By occupation transportation storage communications andfinancialinstitutions: 8%
By occupation agriculture: 6%
By occupation utilities: 2% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20.5% (1994 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $509 million
Expenditures: $636 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (FY94/95 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $161 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing
Partners: US 13%, UK 10%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 8%
Imports: $703 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Partners: US 36%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 3%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $652 million (1991 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 152,100 kW
Production: 510 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 1,841 kWh (1993)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone system: 89,000 telephones
Local: island wide automatic telephone system;
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $NA, NA% of GDP
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marineTotal: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,563 GRT/103,632 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 6, oil tanker 2
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe