Barbados Population: 288,725
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| 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. |
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| Geography | |
| Easternmost Caribbean island | |
| Location: | Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
| Geographic coordinates: | 13 10 N, 59 32 W |
| Area: | total: 430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 97 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
| Terrain: | relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
| Natural resources: | petroleum, fish, natural gas |
| Land use: | arable land: 37.21% permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 50 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
| Current Environment Issues: | pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers |
| International Environment 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 288,725 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 18.6% (male 26,849/female 26,853) 15-24 years: 13.8% (male 19,937/female 19,852) 25-54 years: 45.4% (male 65,153/female 65,902) 55-64 years: 12% (male 16,102/female 18,550) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 11,642/female 17,885) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 36.9 years male: 35.8 years female: 38 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.354% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 12.23 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 11.63 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.98 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 74.52 years male: 72.25 years female: 76.82 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.68 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 1.4% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 2,100 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 100 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
| Ethnic groups: | black 93%, white 3.2%, mixed 2.6%, East Indian 1%, other 0.2% (2000 census) |
| 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.) |
| Languages: | English |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 99.7% male: 99.7% female: 99.7% (2002 est.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm |
| Capital: | name: Bridgetown geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 |
| Independence: | 30 November 1966 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
| Constitution: | 30 November 1966 |
| Legal system: | English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Elliot BELGRAVE (since 1 June 2012) head of government: Prime Minister Fruendel STUART (since 23 October 2010) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) 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 |
| 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) elections: House of Assembly - last held on 21 February 2013 (next to be called in 2018) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 51.3%, BLP 48.3%; seats by party - DLP 16, BLP 14 |
| 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 |
| 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]; 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 [Linda BROOKS]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Walter MALONEY] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador John BEALE chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York consulate(s): Los Angeles |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Christopher SANDROLINI embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006 mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; (Department Name) Unit 3120, DPO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 227-4000 FAX: [1] (246) 431-0179 |
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| Economy | |
| Barbados is the wealthiest and most developed country in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America. 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, which caused the economy to contract 4% in 2009 and grow below 1% annually since 2010. Barbados' public debt-to-GDP ratio rose to from 56% in 2008 to 83% in 2012. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $7.091 billion (2012 est.) $7.042 billion (2011 est.) $7.002 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $4.533 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.7% (2012 est.) 0.6% (2011 est.) 0.2% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $25,500 (2012 est.) $25,400 (2011 est.) $25,300 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3.1% industry: 13.6% services: 83.3% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 145,000 (2011 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 10% industry: 15% services: 75% (1996 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 11.2% (2011 est.) 10.8% (2010 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.1% (2012 est.) 9.4% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $1.3 billion (2012 est.) expenditures: $1.5 billion (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 83.1% of GDP (2012 est.) 79.2% of GDP (2011 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
| Industries: | tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 1.037 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 955 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 29.17 million cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 29.17 million cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 113.3 million cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$344.9 million (2012 est.) -$358.5 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $491.1 million (2012 est.) $476.7 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components |
| Exports - partners: | Trinidad and Tobago 18.9%, France 10.7%, US 9.7%, St. Lucia 8.8%, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 5.4%, Venezuela 4.9%, Antigua and Barbuda 4.5%, St. Kitts and Nevis 4.2% (2011) |
| Imports: | $1.633 billion (2012 est.) $1.606 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components |
| Imports - partners: | Russia 26.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 24.8%, US 18.6%, China 6.1% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $855.3 million (31 December 2012 est.) $812.6 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $4.49 billion (2010 est.) $668 million (2003 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $4.571 billion (31 December 2011) $4.366 billion (31 December 2010) $4.39 billion (31 December 2009) |
| Exchange rates: | Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - 2 (2012 est.) 2 (2011 est.) 2 (2010 est.) note: the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar |
| Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 140,700 (2011) country comparison to the world: 137 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 347,900 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: island-wide automatic telephone system domestic: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density approaching 125 per 100 persons 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .bb |
| Internet hosts: | 1,524 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 188,000 (2008) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 1 (2012) country comparison to the world: 236 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2012) |
| Pipelines: | gas 33 km; oil 62 km; refined products 4 km (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 1,600 km paved: 1,600 km (2004) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 109 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) |
| Ports and terminals: | Bridgetown |
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| Military | |
| 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 (2007) | |
| Military branches: | Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 17 years of age for voluntary military service (younger volunteers require parental consent); no conscription (2009) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 73,820 females age 16-49: 73,835 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 58,125 females age 16-49: 58,016 (2010 est.) |
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