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.

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 430 km²
Land: 430 km²

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

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

Natural hazards: subject to hurricanes (especially June to October; periodic landslides

Geography
Note: easternmost Caribbean island

Population: 255,827 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.21% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Barbadian(s)

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)

Population growth rate: 0.21% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 15.63 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 8.4 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers

Infant mortality rate: 20.3 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.83 years
Male: 71.11 years
Female: 76.76 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief 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 Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Philip Marlowe GREAVES (since 2 June 1987)

Legislative branch: Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
Senate: consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Assembly: election last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results - DLP 49.8%; seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature

International organization participation: ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanette W. HYDE
From the us chancery: 2,144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: (809) 436-4,950
From the us consulates general: New York
From the us consulates: Los Angeles
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 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)

Economy overview: A per capita income of $8,700 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 sugar cane 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 1990-92 as Bridgetown's difficulty in financing its deficits caused it to exert control over domestic demands

Real gdp growth rate: -3% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $8,700 (1993 est.)

Agriculture 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, petroleum

Industrial production 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 andfinancialinstitutions: 9%
By occupation agriculture: 8%
By occupation utilities: 2% (1985est.)

Unemployment rate: 23% (1992)

Budget: revenues:$547 million

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Exports: $158 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing
Partners: US 13%, UK 13%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 7.8%

Imports: $465 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Partners: US 33%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 5%

Debt external: $652 million (1991 est.)

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

Electricity
Capacity: 152,100 kW
Production: 540 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 2,118 kWh (1992)

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

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

Merchant marine: 2 oil tankers (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,466 GRT/76,219 DWT

Disputes international: none