2015 Edition

Background

The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African 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

371.3 cu m/yr (2009)

total

0.1 cu km/yr (20%/26%/54%)

Geographic coordinates

13 10 N, 59 32 W

Geography - note

easternmost Caribbean island

Irrigated land

54.35 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 25.6%; permanent crops 2.3%; permanent pasture 4.7%

agricultural land

32.6%

forest

19.4%

other

48% (2011 est.)

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

0.08 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

18.29% (male 26,570/female 26,583)

15-24 years

13.35% (male 19,323/female 19,461)

25-54 years

44.62% (male 64,604/female 65,069)

55-64 years

12.87% (male 17,483/female 19,907)

65 years and over

10.88% (male 12,596/female 19,008) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

11.87 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.5% (2013)

Death rate

8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

21.3%

potential support ratio

4.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

50.4%

youth dependency ratio

29.1%

Drinking water source

urban: 99.7% of population

rural: 99.7% of population

total: 99.7% of population

urban: 0.3% of population

rural: 0.3% of population

total: 0.3% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

5.6% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

black 92.4%, white 2.7%, mixed 3.1%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.2% (2010 est.)

Health expenditures

6.8% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.88% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,500 (2012 est.)

Hospital bed density

6.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

female

9.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

11.52 deaths/1,000 live births

total

10.42 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.56 years (2015 est.)

male

72.82 years

total population

75.18 years

Major urban areas - population

BRIDGETOWN (capital) 90,000 (2014)

Median age

female

38.7 years (2014 est.)

male

36.5 years

total

37.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)

noun

Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

33.2% (2014)

Physicians density

1.81 physicians/1,000 population (2005)

Population

290,604 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.31% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 66.3% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant .8%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 96.2% of population

rural: 96.2% of population

total: 96.2% of population

urban: 3.8% of population

rural: 3.8% of population

total: 3.8% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2011)

male

14 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.88 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.66 male(s)/female

at birth

1.01 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.68 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.13% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

31.5% of total population (2015)

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

adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966; amended several times, last in 2003 (2011)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Barbados

note

the name derives from the Portuguese "as barbadas," which means the bearded ones and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island's bearded-fig trees or to the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Larry L. PALMER (since 9 May 2012); note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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; (Department Name) Unit 3120, DPO AA 34055

telephone

[1] (246) 227-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador John E. BEALE (since 29 January 2009)

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

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Elliot BELGRAVE (since 1 June 2012)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Freundel 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 law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the chief Justice and president of the court and 4 justices; note - Barbados, a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice, replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) as the final court of appeal

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the governor-general on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 5-member independent body consisting of the Supreme Court chief justice, the commission head, and governor-general appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts

Magistrates' Courts

Legal system

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description

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 the discretion of the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 51.3%, BLP 48.3%, other 0.4%; seats by party - DLP 16, BLP 14

elections

House of Assembly - last held on 21 February 2013 (next to be called in 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS

name

"The National Anthem of Barbados"

note

adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as "In Plenty and In Time of Need"

National holiday

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

National symbol(s)

Neptune's trident, pelican, Red Bird of Paradise flower (also known as Pride of Barbados); national colors: blue, yellow, black

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 [Mary REDMAN]

Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Karen BEST]

Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Linda BROOKS]

Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]

Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]

National Union of Public Workers or NUPW [Walter MALONEY]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, vegetables, cotton

Budget

expenditures

$1.5 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$1.1 billion (2013 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-9.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

7% (31 December 2010)

7% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9% (31 December 2014 est.)

8.7% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$394 million (2014 est.)

-$440.7 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$4.49 billion (2010 est.)

$668 million (2003 est.)

Economy - overview

Barbados is the wealthiest and most developed country in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. 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 four-fifths of GDP and of exports being attributed to services. 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. Barbados' tourism, financial services, and construction industries have been hard hit since the onset of the global economic crisis in 2008. Barbados' public debt-to-GDP ratio rose from 56% in 2008 to 90.5% in 2014. Growth prospects are limited because of a weak tourism outlook and planned austerity measures.

Exchange rates

Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -

2 (2014 est.)

2 (2013 est.)

2 (2012 est.)

2 (2011 est.)

note

the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar

Exports

$774.9 million (2014 est.)

$775.4 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 20.7%, US 11.2%, St. Lucia 9.6%, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6%, Jamaica 5.5%, Antigua and Barbuda 4.9%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.6% (2013)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

39.2%

government consumption

14.5%

household consumption

80.9%

imports of goods and services

-50.7%

investment in fixed capital

14.1%

investment in inventories

2%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.1%

industry

12%

services

85% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$16,200 (2014 est.)

$16,200 (2013 est.)

$16,200 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.3% (2014 est.)

0% (2013 est.)

0% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.348 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.516 billion (2014 est.)

$4.53 billion (2013 est.)

$4.53 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

4.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

4.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

4.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$1.697 billion (2014 est.)

$1.671 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Trinidad and Tobago 35%, US 24.6%, Canada 8% (2013)

Industrial production growth rate

-5.5% (2014 est.)

Industries

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2014 est.)

1.8% (2013 est.)

Labor force

142,800 (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

10%

industry

15%

services

75% (1996 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$4.495 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.571 billion (31 December 2011)

$4.366 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

101.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

97.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$667.6 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$681 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$4.407 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.201 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$5.374 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$5.003 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.848 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.737 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

12.7% (2014 est.)

11.7% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.312 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

764.5 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

1,001 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

2.84 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

934 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

239,000 kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

1.002 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

20 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

20 million cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

141.6 million cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

7,980 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

8,736 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

31 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.bb

Internet users

percent of population

78.5% (2014 est.)

total

227,400

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (2009)

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 - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

52 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

150,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

105 (2014 est.)

total

305,500

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 23, cargo 52, chemical tanker 13, container 6, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

83 (Canada 11, Greece 14, Iran 5, Lebanon 2, Norway 38, Sweden 4, Syria 1, Turkey 1, UAE 1, UK 6) (2010)

total

109

Pipelines

gas 33 km; oil 64 km; refined products 6 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Bridgetown

Roadways

paved

1,600 km (2011)

total

1,600 km

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

73,835 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

73,820

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

58,016 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

58,125

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

1,849 (2010 est.)

male

1,842

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 island defense against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre deployed throughout the island; the cadre increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline for smuggling and other illicit activities

Military branches

Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service, or earlier with parental consent; no conscription (2013)

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, which permits Venezuela to extend its Economic Exclusion Zone/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