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.

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

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Geography
Note: easternmost Caribbean island

Population: 258,756 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 0.12% (1997 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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 31,025; female 30,197)
15-64 years: 66% (male 83,977; female 87,208)
65 years and over: 10% (male 10,002; female 16,347) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.12% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 15.35 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.25 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.87 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.8 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.6 years
Male: 71.84 years
Female: 77.43 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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

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

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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
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 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)
Elections: House of Assembly - last held 6 September 1994 (next to be held by January 1999)
Election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 19, DLP 8, NDP 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Judicature, judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service

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, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Courtney N. 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] (246) 436-4,950
From the us FAX: [1] (246) 429-5,246

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, 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: Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but in recent years the production has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996. The industry generated $331.8 million by the end of June and was expected to double by the end of the year. Prime Minister Owen ARTHUR called for "prudent" financial management to ensure that economic growth would continue. As part of his plan, the Prime Minister introduced a controversial Value Added Tax (VAT) in an effort to reform the tax administration process. The VAT will be administered at 15% for most industries and 7% for the tourism industry. The government has also continued its efforts to promote regional integration initiatives, to reduce the unacceptably high unemployment rate, and to encourage direct foreign investment.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $10,300 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 6.4%
Industry: 39.3%
Services: 54.3% (1994)

Agriculture products: sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (1995)

Labor force
Total: 126,000 (1993)
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: 16.2% (1996)

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

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Exports
Total value: $235 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: 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
Total value: $763 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Partners: US 36%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 3%

Debt external: $359 million (December 1996)

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

Electricity
Capacity: 153,000 kW (1995)
Production: 644 million kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 2,208 kWh (1995 est.)

Telephones: 87,343 (1991 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: island wide automatic telephone system
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine
Total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 453,828 GRT/684,470 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 16, cargo 27, combination bulk 4, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1 (1996 est.)

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe