1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 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, 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
NA sq km
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 37% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 12% other: 46% (1993 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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 23% (male 30,132; female 29,359) 15-64 years: 67% (male 85,437; female 88,131) 65 years and over: 10% (male 9,862; female 16,270) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
14.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
8.16 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
black 80%, white 4%, other 16%
Infant mortality rate
16.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
English
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.98 years male: 72.22 years female: 77.81 years (1999 est.)
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) adjective: Barbadian
Net migration rate
-5.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
259,191 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.04% (1999 est.)
Religions
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.83 children born/woman (1999 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 city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Capital
Bridgetown
Constitution
30 November 1966
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados
Data code
BB
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 monarch; governor general appointed by the monarch; prime minister appointed by the governor general
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
Independence
30 November 1966 (from UK)
International organization participation
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Courtney N. BLACKMAN chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Coral Gables (Florida), Miami, and New York consulate(s): Los Angeles Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador E. William CROTTY embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown mailing address: P.O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service) Political parties and leaders: Democratic Labor Party or DLP Political pressure groups and leaders: Barbados Workers Union
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)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Budget
revenues: $725.5 million expenditures: $750.6 million, including capital expenditures of $126.3 million (FY97/98 est.)
Currency
1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
Debt--external
$581.4 million (1996)
Economic aid--recipient
$9.1 million (1995)
Economy--overview
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996-98. Offshore finance and informatics are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce the unacceptably high unemployment rate, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises.
Electricity--consumption
600 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
600 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1--2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)
Exports
$280 million (1997)
Exports--commodities
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing
Exports--partners
Caricom 34.8%, US 18.4%, UK 16.6%, Canada 4.4% (1996)
Fiscal year
1 April--31 March
GDP
purchasing power parity--$2.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 6% industry: 15% services: 79% (1996)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$11,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
3% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$982 million (1997)
Imports--commodities
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports--partners
US 40.5%, Caricom 14.7%, UK 8.4%, Canada 5% (1996)
Industrial production growth rate
0.8% (1996)
Industries
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.6% (1997)
Labor force
136,000 (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation
services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
12% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios
NA
Telephone system
domestic: island wide automatic telephone system international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Telephones
87,343 (1991 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1 (in addition, there are two cable channels) (1997)
Televisions
69,350 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Airports
1 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 1,650 km paved: 1,582 km unpaved: 68 km (1998 est.) Ports and harbors: Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)
Merchant marine
total: 44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 641,550 GRT/1,087,042 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 26, combination bulk 1, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships of 2 countries: Canada owns 2 ships, Hong Kong 1 (1998 est.)
Railways
0 km
Military and Security
Military branches
Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes 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: 72,111 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 49,600 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
none
Illicit drugs
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe