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Background:
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The island was uninhabited when first settled by
the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on
the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained
heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most
of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political
reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK
in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar
industry in economic importance. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean,
northeast of Venezuela |
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Geographic
coordinates:
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13 10 N, 59 32 W |
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 431 sq km
land: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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97 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
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Terrain:
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relatively flat; rises gently to central
highland region |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean
0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, fish, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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50 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water
resources:
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0.1 cu km (2003) |
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.09 cu km/yr
(33%/44%/22%)
per capita: 333 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
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Environment - current
issues:
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pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal
by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens
contamination of aquifers |
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Environment -
international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of
the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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easternmost Caribbean island |
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Population:
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281,968 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.3% (male
27,270/female 27,193)
15-64 years: 71.7% (male
99,357/female 102,683)
65 years and over: 9% (male
9,856/female 15,609) (2008 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 35.4 years
male: 34.2 years
female: 36.4 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth
rate:
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0.36% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.48 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.58 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63
male(s)/female
total population: 0.94
male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 11.05 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 12.4 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 9.69 deaths/1,000 live
births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at
birth:
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total population: 73.21 years
male: 71.2 years
female: 75.24 years (2008 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.65 children born/woman (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan
(colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan
(colloquial) |
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Ethnic groups:
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black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% |
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Religions:
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Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%,
Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% |
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Languages:
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English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over
has ever attended school
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% (2002 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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name: Bridgetown
geographic coordinates: 13 06 N,
59 37 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour
ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative
divisions:
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11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ
Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint
Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint
Thomas |
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Independence:
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30 November 1966 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
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Constitution:
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30 November 1966 |
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Legal system:
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English common law; no judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General
Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister
David THOMPSON (since 16 January 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections: the monarch is
hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader
of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the
governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime
minister |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21
seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of
the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at
his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are
elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly -
last held 15 January 2008 (next to be called in 2013)
election results: House of
Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by
party - DLP 20, BLP 10 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are
appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal
Services); Caribbean Court of Justice is the highest court of appeal |
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Political parties and
leaders:
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Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY];
Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; People's Empowerment
Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG] |
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Political pressure
groups and leaders:
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Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU
[Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS];
Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB,
(includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados
Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David
COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD] |
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International
organization participation:
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ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Michael Ian KING
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
consulate(s) general: Miami, New
York
consulate(s): Los Angeles |
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Diplomatic
representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador
Mary M. OURISMAN
embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey
Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael
mailing address: P. O. Box 302,
Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055
telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950
FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379 |
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Flag description:
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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) |
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Economy - overview:
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Historically, the Barbadian economy was
dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However,
production in recent years has diversified into light industry and
tourism, with about three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being
attributed to services. Growth has rebounded since 2003, bolstered by
increases in construction projects and tourism revenues - reflecting
its success in the higher-end segment. The country enjoys one of the
highest per capita incomes in the region and an investment grade rating
which benefits from its political stability and stable institutions.
Offshore finance and information services are important foreign
exchange earners and thrive from having the same time zone as eastern
US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. The
government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage
direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned
enterprises. |
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GDP (purchasing power
parity):
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$5.317 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP (official
exchange rate):
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$3.739 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP - real growth
rate:
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4.2% (2007 est.) |
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GDP - per capita
(PPP):
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$19,300 (2007 est.) |
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GDP - composition by
sector:
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agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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128,500 (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by
occupation:
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agriculture: 10%
industry: 15%
services: 75% (1996 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10.7% (2003 est.) |
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Population below
poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or
consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices):
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5.5% (2007 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $847 million
(including grants)
expenditures: $886 million (2000
est.) |
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Agriculture -
products:
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sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
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Industries:
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tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component
assembly for export |
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Industrial production
growth rate:
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-3.2% (2000 est.) |
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Electricity -
production:
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953 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity -
production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption:
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886.3 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production:
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1,002 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - consumption:
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9,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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1,666 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports:
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7,071 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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2.5 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Natural gas -
production:
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27.97 million cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas -
consumption:
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27.97 million cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved
reserves:
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135.8 million cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Current account
balance:
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-$254 million (2007 est.) |
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Exports:
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$385 million (2006) |
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Exports - commodities:
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manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other
foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components |
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Exports - partners:
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US 27.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 15%, UK 10.2%,
Saint Lucia 7%, Jamaica 6.5%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.3%
(2006) |
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Imports:
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$1.586 billion (2006) |
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Imports - commodities:
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consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs,
construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components |
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Imports - partners:
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US 37.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 22.6%, UK 5.9%
(2006) |
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Economic aid -
recipient:
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$2.07 million (2005) |
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Reserves of foreign
exchange and gold:
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$620 million (2007) |
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Debt - external:
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$668 million (2003) |
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Market value of
publicly traded shares:
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$5.513 billion (2005) |
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Currency (code):
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Barbadian dollar (BBD) |
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Currency code:
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BBD |
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Exchange rates:
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Barbadian dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 2
(2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |
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Telephones - main
lines in use:
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134,900 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile
cellular:
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206,200 (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
telephone density of 75 per 100 persons
domestic: island-wide automatic
telephone system
international: country code -
1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS)
submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean
extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth
stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to
Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2007) |
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Radio broadcast
stations:
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AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Radios:
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237,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast
stations:
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1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004) |
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Televisions:
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76,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.bb |
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Internet hosts:
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104 (2007) |
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs):
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19 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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160,000 (2005) |
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Airports:
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1 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved
runways:
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
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Roadways:
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total: 1,600 km
paved: 1,600 km (2004) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 71 ships (1000 GRT or
over) 539,579 GRT/793,899 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo
39, chemical tanker 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker
3, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 67 (Bahamas, The 1,
Canada 9, Greece 11, India 1, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 35, Sweden 5,
UK 3)
registered in other countries: 1
(St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Bridgetown |
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Military branches:
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Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command,
Barbados Coast Guard (2007) |
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Military service age
and obligation:
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18 years of age for voluntary military service
(younger requires parental consent); no conscription (2008) |
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Manpower available
for military service:
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males age 16-49: 75,265
females age 16-49: 75,389 (2008
est.) |
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Manpower fit for
military service:
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males age 16-49: 58,556
females age 16-49: 58,143 (2008
est.) |
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Military expenditures
- percent of GDP:
|
0.5% (2006 est.) |
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Military - note:
|
the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a
land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of
the land element is to defend the island against external aggression;
the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small
regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly
supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling
and other illicit activities (2007) |
| Transnational Issues |
Barbados |
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Disputes -
international:
|
in April 2006, the Permanent Court of
Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with
Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement
limiting Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and
Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and
Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS
challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and
Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; joins
other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island
sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its
EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
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This page was
last updated on 10 June, 2008
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