Barbados

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Introduction - Barbados:
Country	Barbados


Background	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.


Location - Barbados:
Location	Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates	13 10 N, 59 32 W

Map references	Central America and the Caribbean

Area	total: 431 sq km land: 431 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area comparative	2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries	0 km

Coastline	97 km

Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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 highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

Natural resources	petroleum, fish, natural gas

Land use	arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005)

Irrigated land	50 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards	infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

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

Environment international agreements	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

Geography note	easternmost Caribbean island

People - Barbados:
Population	280,946 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 19.7% (male 27,659/female 27,573) 15-64 years: 71.4% (male 98,633/female 102,020) 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 9,662/female 15,399) (2007 est.)

Median age	total: 35 years male: 33.8 years female: 36 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	0.369% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	12.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	8.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.003 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.967 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.627 male(s)/female total population: 0.938 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 11.55 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.88 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73 years male: 71.02 years female: 75.01 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hiv aids adult prevalence rate	1.5%; (2003 est.)

Hiv aids people living with hiv aids	2,500 (2003 est.)

Hiv aids deaths	less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality	noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

Ethnic groups	black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%

Religions	Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Languages	English

Literacy	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.)

Government - Barbados:
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados

Government type	parliamentary democracy

Capital	name: Bridgetown geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions	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

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage	18 years of age; universal

Executive branch	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 Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; 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

Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general) 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 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7

Judicial branch	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

Political parties and leaders	Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; Peoples Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG]

Political pressure groups and leaders	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, which 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]

International organization participation	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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the us	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

Diplomatic representation from the us	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

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 - Barbados:
Economy overview	Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005-06, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved.

Gdp purchasing power parity	$5.146 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp official exchange rate	$3.142 billion (2006 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	3.5% (2006 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$18,400 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector	agriculture: 6% industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.)

Labor force	128,500 (2001 est.)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 10% industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate	10.7% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line	NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate consumer prices	-0.5% (2003 est.)

Budget	revenues: $847 million (including grants) expenditures: $886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Agriculture products	sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

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

Industrial production growth rate	-3.2% (2000 est.)

Electricity production	896 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	833.3 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	1,000 bbl/day (2004)

Oil consumption	11,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	2.509 million bbl (1 January 2005)

Natural gas production	29.17 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	29.17 million cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas exports	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas imports	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas proved reserves	141.6 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Exports	$209 million (2004 est.)

Exports commodities	sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components

Exports partners	Trinidad and Tobago 16.3%, UK 11.1%, US 10.9%, Saint Lucia 9.2%, Jamaica 8.7%, Grenada 5.1%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 4.3%, Canada 4% (2006)

Imports	$1.476 billion (2004 est.)

Imports commodities	consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components

Imports partners	US 29.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 26.4%, UK 5.8%, China 5% (2006)

Debt external	$668 million (2003)

Economic aid recipient	$9.1 million (1995)

Currency code	Barbadian dollar (BBD)

Exchange rates	Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002)

Communications - Barbados:
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March

Telephones main lines in use	134,900 (2005)

Telephones mobile cellular	206,200 (2005)

Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)

Television broadcast stations	1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)

Internet country code	.bb

Internet hosts	282 (2006)

Internet users	160,000 (2005)

Transportation - Barbados:
Airports	1 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways	total: 1,600 km paved: 1,600 km (2004)

Merchant marine	total: 58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5) registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals	Bridgetown

Military - Barbados:
Military branches	Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2007)

Military service age and obligation	18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 71,524 females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 54,510 females age 18-49: 54,889 (2005 est.)

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 (2005)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	0.5% (2006 est.)

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 fishermens catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobagos 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 Tobagos and Venezuelas maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuelas 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