1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 430 km2 land area: 430 km2 comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Coastline
97 km
Environment
subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 77% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 14%
Location
in the extreme eastern Caribbean Sea, about 375 km northeast of Venezuela
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, fishing, natural gas
Note
easternmost Caribbean island
Terrain
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
People and Society
Birth rate
15.78 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
8.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%
Infant mortality rate
21.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
120,900 (1991) by occupation: services and government 37%, commerce 22%, manufacturing and construction 22%, transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 9%, agriculture 8%, utilities 2% (1985 est.)
Languages
English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.49 years male: 70.75 years female: 76.46 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970) total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99%
Nationality
noun: Barbadian(s) adjective: Barbadian
Net migration rate
-5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
255,338 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
0.18% (1993 est.)
Religions
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Total fertility rate
1.77 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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 new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Capital
Bridgetown
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990)
Constitution
30 November 1966
Digraph
BB
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
FAX
(809) 429-5246
Flag
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, 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)
Head of Government
Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)
House of Assembly
last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results - DLP 49.8%; seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10
Independence
30 November 1966 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature
Legal system
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
Member of
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados
National holiday
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Other political or pressure groups
Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN; People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE; Clement Payne Labor Union, David COMMISSIONG
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
parliamentary democracy
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Box B, FPO AA 34054 telephone: (809) 436-4950 through 4957
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 8% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops - vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food
Budget
revenues $547 million; expenditures $620 million (FY92-93), including capital expenditures of $60 million
Currency
1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million
Electricity
152,100 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 2,118 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate)
Exports
$205.8 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment partners: CARICOM 31%, US 16%, UK 13%
External debt
$750 million (1991 est.)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Imports
$697 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction materials, chemicals partners: US 34%, CARICOM 16%, UK 11%, Canada 6%
Industrial production
growth rate -1.3% (1991); accounts for 10% of GDP
Industries
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export, petroleum
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.1% (1991)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion ( 1991)
National product per capita
$7,000 (1991)
National product real growth rate
-4% (1991)
Overview
A per capita income of $7,000 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. The economy slowed in 1990-91, however, and Bridgetown's declining hard currency reserves and inability to finance its deficits have caused it to adopt an austere economic reform program.
Unemployment rate
23% (1992)
Communications
Airports
total: 1 usable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
Highways
1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km gravel and earth
Merchant marine
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,710 GRT79,263 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 oil tanker
Ports
Bridgetown
Telecommunications
islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 70,254; fit for military service 49,096 (1993 est.); no conscription