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. In the 1990s tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.


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Location: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

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 claims
Exclusive 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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Natural resources:

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

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Barbadian(s)
Adjective: Barbadian

Ethnic groups:

Languages: English

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current 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
International agreements: party to_Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed, but not ratified_Biodiversity, Hazardous Wastes
International agreements note: Easternmost Caribbean island

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.35 years (1996 est.); 74.16 years (1995 est.)
Male: 71.65 years (1996 est.); 71.47 years (1995 est.)
Female: 77.25 years (1996 est.); 77.06 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1995 est.)
Total population: 97.4%
Male: 98%
Female: 96.8%

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: 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 areas

Independence: 30 November 1966 (from U.K.)

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Acting Governor General Denys WILLIAMS (since 21 December 1995) who was appointed by the queen
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, judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, 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, UNMIH, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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: Historically, the Barbadian economy has been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but in recent years the production has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. Sluggish performances in the sugar and tourism sectors_which declined by 25% and 8% respectively_tempered economic expansion in 1995; output increased by 2% for the year, down from nearly 4% in 1994. Improved weather conditions in 1995 are expected to boost agriculture output in 1996. Since taking office in 1994, Prime Minister ARTHUR has aggressively moved to promote foreign direct investment as part of a policy designed to reduce nagging unemployment. The government has also been active in promoting regional integration initiatives.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: Accounts for 6.4% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops_vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 5% (1995 est.), 2% (FY93/94 est.), accounts for about 39.3% of GDP

Labor force: 126,000 (1993)
By occupation services and government: 41%
By occupation commerce: 15%
By occupation manufacturing and construction: 18%
By occupation transportation storage communications and financial institutions: 8%
By occupation agriculture: 6%
By occupation utilities: 2% (1992 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $550 million (FY95/96); $509 million (FY94/95)
Expenditures: $710 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (FY95/96 est.); $636 million, including capital expenditures of $86 million (FY94/95 est.)

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:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners:

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: 510 million kWh

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 1,841 kWh (1993)

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: 87,343 telephones (1991 est.)
Local: island wide automatic telephone system;
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: NA

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 paved runways: over 3,047 m :1

Airports with paved runways: over 3,047 m :1

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 183,937 GRT/271,707 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 21, combination bulk 3, oil tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1995 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: One of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the U.S. and Europe