Barbados

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

19 (2000)

Internet country code

.bb

Internet users

6,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

237,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Telephones - main lines in use

108,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

8,013 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)

Televisions

76,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Budget

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

Currency

Barbadian dollar (BBD)

Currency code

BBD

Debt - external

$425 million

Economic aid - recipient

$9.1 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2001 due to slowdowns in tourism and consumer spending. Growth will remain anemic in 2002 with a recovery likely near the end of the year.

Electricity - consumption

688.2 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

740 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Exchange rates

Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)

Exports

$272 million (2000)

Exports - commodities

sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing

Exports - partners

Caribbean Community 43.2%, US 15.3%, UK 13.2% (2000)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 6% industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-2% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.16 billion (2000)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

US 40.8%, Caribbean Community 19.8%, UK 8.1%, Japan 5.2%, Canada 4.2% (2000)

Industrial production growth rate

-3.2% (2000 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force

128,500 (2001 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

10% (2001 est.)

Area

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

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Coastline

97 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

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: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geographic coordinates

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Geography - note

easternmost Caribbean island

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (1998 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards

infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, natural gas

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

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

Capital

Bridgetown

Constitution

30 November 1966

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Earl N. PHILLIPS, Jr. embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING consulate(s): Los Angeles consulate(s) general: Miami and New York FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

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 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 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

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)

Government type

parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth

Independence

30 November 1966 (from UK)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)

Legal system

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

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 20 January 1999 (next to be held by January 2004) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 26, DLP 2

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Political parties and leaders

Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Richard HAYNES]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Royal Barbados Defense Force (including Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 78,132 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 53,532 (2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.4% (male 29,888; female 29,338) 15-64 years: 69.8% (male 94,214; female 98,811) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,378; female 14,978) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

13.32 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.17% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

130 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,800 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

11.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.49 years female: 76.12 years (2002 est.) male: 70.9 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.)

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

276,607 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.46% (2002 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.64 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center

Airports

1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)

Highways

total: 1,650 km paved: 1,628 km unpaved: 22 km (1998)

Merchant marine

total: 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 629,987 GRT/1,073,991 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bahamas, The 1, Canada 4, Germany 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 7, Norway 7, United Kingdom 18 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 26, combination bulk 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 4

Ports and harbors

Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)

Railways

0 km

Waterways

none