2010 Edition

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.

Area

land

430 sq km

total

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

highest point

Mount Hillaby 336 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 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

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

333 cu m/yr (2000)

total

0.09 cu km/yr (33%/44%/22%)

Geographic coordinates

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Geography - note

easternmost Caribbean island

Irrigated land

50 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

37.21%

other

60.46% (2005)

permanent crops

2.33%

Location

Caribbean, island in 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

Total renewable water resources

0.1 cu km (2003)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.2% (male 27,383/female 27,352) 15-64 years: 71.3% (male 99,829/female 103,049) 65 years and over: 9.5% (male 10,464/female 16,512) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

12.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

6.7% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

black 93%, white 3.2%, mixed 2.6%, East Indian 1%, other 0.2% (2000 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.2% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

2,200 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

10.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

13.42 deaths/1,000 live births

total

12.09 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.42 years (2010 est.)

male

71.88 years

total population

74.14 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

female

99.7% (2002 est.)

male

99.7%

total population

99.7%

Median age

female

37.2 years (2010 est.)

male

35.1 years

total

36.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

285,653 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0.374% (2010 est.)

Religions

Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2001)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.012 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.68 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

40% of total population (2008)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

13 06 N, 59 37 W

name

Bridgetown

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

30 November 1966

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Barbados

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires D. Brent HARDT

embassy

U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006

FAX

[1] (246) 431-0179

mailing address

P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055

telephone

[1] (246) 227-4399

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador John BEALE

consulate(s)

Los Angeles

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 332-7467

telephone

[1] (202) 939-9200

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)

elections

the monarchy 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

head of government

Prime Minister Fruendel STUART (since 23 October 2010)

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 band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)

Government type

parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Independence

30 November 1966 (from the UK)

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, 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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature consists of a High Court and a Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice or CCJ is the highest court of appeal; based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Legal system

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10

elections

House of Assembly - last held on 15 January 2008 (next to be called in 2012)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS note: adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as "In Plenty and In Time of Need"

name

"The National Anthem of Barbados"

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Political parties and leaders

Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Freundel STUART]; People's 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, (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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Central bank discount rate

7% (31 December 2009) 10% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.25% (31 December 2009 est.) 10.03% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$254 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$668 million (2003)

Economy - overview

Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism with about three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being attributed to services. Growth has rebounded since 2003, bolstered by increases in construction projects and tourism revenues, reflecting its success in the higher-end segment, but the sector faced declining revenues in 2009 with the global economic downturn. The country enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners and thrive from having the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The public debt-to-GDP ratio rose to over 100% in 2009, largely because a sharp slowdown in tourism and financial services led to a wide budget deficit.

Electricity - consumption

939.9 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

1.003 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)

Exports

$385 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 17.48%, Jamaica 15.63%, US 8.93%, Saint Lucia 8.13%, UK 5.36%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.04%, Antigua and Barbuda 4.12% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

6%

industry

16%

services

78% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$21,700 (2010 est.) $21,900 (2009 est.) $23,300 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.7% (2010 est.) -5.5% (2009 est.) -0.2% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.963 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.196 billion (2010 est.) $6.24 billion (2009 est.) $6.603 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$1.586 billion (2006)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 28.52%, US 27.96%, Colombia 7.13%, China 4.76%, UK 4.39% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

-3.2% (2000 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force

175,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

10%

industry

15%

services

75% (1996 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA (31 December 2009) $4.964 billion (31 December 2008) $5.599 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

29.17 million cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

29.17 million cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

113.3 million cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

9,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

1,750 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

10,390 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

765 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

1.79 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

NA (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$620 million (2007)

Stock of broad money

$4.563 billion (31 December 2009) $4.618 billion (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$4.554 billion (31 December 2008 est.) $4.124 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.793 billion (31 December 2009) $1.748 billion (31 December 2008)

Unemployment rate

10.7% (2003 est.)

Broadcast media

government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates the lone terrestrial television station; CBC also operates a multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen radio stations, consisting of a CBC-operated network alongside privately-owned radio stations, in operation (2007)

Internet country code

.bb

Internet hosts

1,508 (2010)

Internet users

188,000 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density approaching 125 per 100 persons

general assessment

island-wide automatic telephone system

international

country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

135,700 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

337,100 (2009)

Airports

1 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 19, cargo 55, chemical tanker 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

89 (Canada 13, Greece 14, Iran 4, Lebanon 2, Norway 41, Sweden 6, Syria 1, Turkey 1, UK 7)

registered in other countries

1 (unknown 1) (2010)

total

95

Ports and terminals

Bridgetown

Roadways

paved

1,600 km (2004)

total

1,600 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 74,418 females age 16-49: 74,450 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 58,532 females age 16-49: 58,542 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

1,884 (2010 est.)

male

1,897

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 (2007)

Military branches

Royal Barbados Defense Force

Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2010)

Military expenditures

0.8% of GDP (2009)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger volunteers require parental consent); no conscription (2009)

Disputes - international

Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's 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

Illicit drugs

one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center page last updated on January 11, 2011 ======================================================================