Statistical information Barbados 1998

Barbados in the World

Barbados - Introduction 1998

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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.

Barbados - Geography 1998

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

Geographic coordinates: 13 10 N, 59 32 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 430 km²
Land: 430 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 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: petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use

Land use
Arable land: 37%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: 12%
Other: 46% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Geography
Note: easternmost Caribbean island

Barbados - People 1998

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Population: 259,025 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 0.09% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Barbadian(s)
Adjective: Barbadian

Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 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 profile

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 23% (male 30,592; female 29,747)
15-64 years: 67% (male 84,725; female 87,730)
65 years and over: 10% (male 9,926; female 16,305) (July 1998 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.09% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 14.92 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 8.21 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Biodiversity

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 17.25 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.79 years
Male: 72.03 years
Female: 77.62 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.85 children born/woman (1998 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
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 97.4%
Male: 98%
Female: 96.8% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment

Barbados - Government 1998

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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 city of Bridgetown may be given parish status

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996): ead 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 the advice of the prime minister
Elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; prime minister appointed by the governor general

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation

Diplomatic representation

Flag description