1983 Edition

Agriculture

main products — sugarcane, subsistence foods

livestock production predominates; main crops — grains, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, other vegetables, fruits; 80% selfsufficient in food

Aid

economic — bilateral commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-82), from US, $10 million; (1970-81) ODA and OOF commitments from other Western countries, $66 million; no military aid

donor; bilateral economic aid commitments (OD A and OOF), $4.3 billion ( 1 970-8 1 )

Airfields

1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m

46 total, 45 usable; 25 with permanent-surface runways; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Area

430 km2; 60% crop; 30% unused, built on, or waste; 10% meadow Water

Branches

bicameral legislature (Parliament— 21-member appointed Senate and 27-member elected House of Assembly); Cabinet headed by Prime Minister

Barbados Defense Force, Royal Barbados Police Force

executive branch consists of King and Cabinet; Cabinet responsible to bicameral parliament (Senate and Chamber of Representatives); independent judiciary; coalition governments are usual

Army, Navy, Air Force

Budget

(1983) revenues, $242 million; expenditures, $247.3 million

(1982) revenues, $24 million; expenditures, $35.5 million; deficit, $9.5 million

Capital

Bridgetown

Brussels

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

44 major transport aircraft

CNP

$85.42 billion (1982), $8,628 per capita; 66.6% consumption, 16.8% investment, 19% government consumption, 0.3% stock building, -2.4% net foreign balance (1982); 0.7% real growth rate in 1982

Coastline

97 km People

64 km People

Communists

negligible

10,000 members (est, October 1981)

Crude steel

17.9 million metric tons capacity (December 1981); 9.9 million metric tons produced, 1,004 kg per capita (1982)

Elections

House of Assembly members have terms no longer than five years; last general election held 18 June 1981 Political parties and leaders: Barbados Labor Party (BLP), J. M. G. "Tom" Adams; Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Errol Bar-

held at least once every four years; last held 8 November 1981 Political parties and leaders: Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Frank Swaelen, president; Walloon Social Christian (PSC), Gerard Deprez, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Karel van Miert, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), Guy Spitaels, president; Flemish Liberal (PVV), Guy Verhofstadt, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Louis Michel, president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Lucien Outers, president; Volksunie (VU), Belgium (continued) Vic Anciaux, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis van Geyt, president; Walloon Rally (RW), Henri Mordant; Ecologist Party (ECOLO-AGALEV), president unknown; Anti-Tax Party (UDRT-RAD), Robert Hendrick and Thomas Delahaye, presidents; Vlaams Blok (VB), president unknown

Electric power

127,000 kW capacity (1983); 335 million kWh produced (1983), 1,335 kWh per capita

14,891,000 kW capacity (1983); 50.4 billion kWh produced (1983), 5,1 10 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

80% African, 16% mixed, 4% European

55% Fleming, 33% Walloon, 12% mixed or other

Exports

$209.4 million (f.o.b., 1982); sugar and sugarcane byproducts, electrical parts, clothing

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $55.2 billion (f.o.b., 1981); iron and steel products, finished or semifinished precious stones, textile products

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March Communications

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 30,602 metric tons (1980); exports $63 million (1981), imports $317 million (1981)

GDP

$997.5 million (1982), $3,977 per capita

Government leaders

John M. G. "Tom" ADAMS, Prime Minister; Sir Hugh SPRINGER, Governor General

BAUDOUIN I, King; Wilfried MARTENS, Prime Minister

Highways

1,533 km total; 1,476 km paved, 7 km unpaved, 3 km four-lane highways under construction, and 96 km gravel and earth

103,396 km total; approximately 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; approximately 38,000 km other paved; approximately 51,000 km unpaved rural

Imports

$554 million (f.o.b., 1982); foodstuffs, consumer durables, machinery, fuels

(Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union) $61.4 billion (c.i.f., 1981); nonelectrical machinery, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, fuels

Inland waterways

2,043 km, of which 1,528 km are in regular use by commercial transport

Labor force

103,900(1982); 65.6% services and government, 24.6% industry and commerce, 9.8% agriculture; unemployment 11% (1979)

4 million (1983); 36% transportation, 33% industry and commerce, 21% public services, 2.3% agriculture; 11% unemployed (1983)

Land boundaries

1,377 km Water

Language

English

56% Flemish (Dutch), 32% French, 1% German; 11% legally bilingual; divided along ethnic lines •

Legal system

English common law; constitution came into effect upon independence in 1966; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; constitution adopted 1831, since amended; judicial review of legislative acts; legal education at four law schools; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)

3 nm (fishing 12 nm)

Literacy

99%

98%

Major industries

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

engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals, basic metals, textiles, glass, and petroleum

Major trade partners

exports — 36% US, 27% CARICOM, UK; imports— 34% US, 18% CARICOM, UK, Canada (1980)

(BelgiumLuxembourg Economic Union, 1981) 65.5% EC (19.6% FRG, 16.5% France, 16.0% Netherlands, 8.0% UK, 4.2% Italy), 5.8% US, 2.5% Communist

Member of

CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, IDE — Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC— International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO Economy

ADB, Benelux, BLEU, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, ECOSOC, EIB, ELDO, EMS, ESRO, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB — Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITC, ITU, NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG Economy

Military budget

for fiscal year 1982, $6.7 million; central government budget for 1982 is unknown Land 30,540 km2; 28% cultivated; 24% meadow and pasture; 20% forest; 28% waste, urban, or other

for fiscal year ending 31 December 1983, $1.904 billion; 5.6% of the central government budget

Military manpower

males 15-49, 66,000; 47,000 fit for military service; no conscription

males 15-49, 2,492,000; 2,108,000 fit for military service; 80,000 reach military age (19) annually

Monetary conversion rate

2.01 13 Barbados dollars=US$l (February 1984)

56.33 Belgian francs=US$l (December 1983)

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 November

National Day, 21 July

Nationality

noun— Barbadian(s); adjective — Barbadian

noun— Belgian(s); adjective — Belgian

Official name

Barbados

Kingdom of Belgium

Organized labor

32% Government

70% of labor force Government

Other political or pressure groups

Movement for National Liberation (MONALI), Ricky Parris; People's Progressive Movement, Bobby Clarke; People's Pressure Movement, Eric Sealy

Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons and Pax Christi

Pipelines

refined products, 1,115 km; crude, 161 km; natural gas, 3,218 km

Political subdivisions

1 1 parishes and city of Bridgetown

nine provinces; as of 1 October 1980, Wallonia and Flanders have regional "subgovernments" with elected regional councils and executive officials; those regional authorities have limited powers over revenues and certain areas of economic, urban, environmental, and housing policy; the authority of the regional subgovernments will increase over a five-year period; Wallonia also has a separate Walloon Cultural Council

Population

252,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 0.3%

9,872,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 0.1%

Ports

1 major (Bridgetown), 2 minor Belgium

5 major, 1 minor

Railroads

none

4,111 km total; 3,920 km 1.435meter standard gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,763 km electrified; 191 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, electrified

Religion

70% Anglican, 9% Methodist, 4% Roman Catholic, and 17% other, including Moravian

75% Roman Catholic, remainder Protestant, none, or other

Suffrage

universal over age 18

universal over age 18

Telecommunications

islandwide automatic telephone system with 66,700 telephones (26.6 per 100 popl.); tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and St. Lucia; UHF/VHF links to St. Vincent and St. Lucia; 2 AM stations, 1 FM station, and 1 TV station; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

excellent domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; 3.64 million telephones (46.8 per 100 popl.); 6 AM, 36 FM, and 32 TV stations; 5 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT station Defense Forces

Type

independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State

constitutional monarchy

Voting strength

(1981 election) BLP, 52.4%; DLP, 46.8%; independent, negligible; House of Assembly seats— BLP 17, DLP 10

(1981 election) Chamber of Representatives— CVP 43 seats, PS 35 seats, PVV 28 seats, SP 26 seats, PRL 24 seats, VU 20 seats, PSC 18 seats, FDF and RW 8 seats, ECOLO-AGALEV 4 seats, UDRT-RAD 3 seats, PCB 2 seats, VB 1 seat