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.
Location
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates
13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total
431 sq km
land
431 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
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
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
Geography - note
easternmost Caribbean island
Population
280,946 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
19.7% (male 27,659/female 27,573)
15-64 years
71.4% (male 98,633/female 102,020)
65 years and over
8.9% (male 9,662/female 15,399) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
35 years
male
33.8 years
female
36 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.369% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
12.61 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
8.61 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.003 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.967 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.627 male(s)/female
total population
0.938 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
11.55 deaths/1,000 live births
male
12.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female
10.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
73 years
male
71.02 years
female
75.01 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.65 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
1.5%; (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
2,500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective
Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic groups
black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Religions
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Languages
English
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population
99.7%
male
99.7%
female
99.7% (2002 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Barbados
Government type
parliamentary democracy
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 UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution
30 November 1966
Legal system
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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 7 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
elections
none; the monarch 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) 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 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice is the highest court of appeal
Political parties and leaders
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; 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, which 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]
U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael
mailing address
P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055
telephone
[1] (246) 436-4950
FAX
[1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379
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)
Economy - overview
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth was positive in 2005-06, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$5.146 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.142 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
3.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$18,400 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
6%
industry
16%
services
78% (2000 est.)
Labor force
128,500 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
10%
industry
15%
services
75% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate
10.7% (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.5% (2003 est.)
Budget
revenues
$847 million (including grants)
expenditures
$886 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Industrial production growth rate
-3.2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production
896 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
100%
hydro
0%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
833.3 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
1,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption
11,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
1.254 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production
29.17 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
29.17 million cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
141.6 million cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Exports
$209 million (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Exports - partners
Trinidad and Tobago 16.3%, UK 11.1%, US 10.9%, Saint Lucia 9.2%, Jamaica 8.7%, Grenada 5.1%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5%, Saint Kitts & Nevis 4.3%, Canada 4% (2006)
Imports
$1.476 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports - partners
US 29.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 26.4%, UK 5.8%, China 5% (2006)
Debt - external
$668 million (2003)
Economic aid - recipient
$9.1 million (1995)
Currency (code)
Barbadian dollar (BBD)
Currency code
BBD
Exchange rates
Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Telephones - main lines in use
134,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
206,200 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
island-wide automatic telephone system
international
country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios
237,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)
Televisions
76,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.bb
Internet hosts
282 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
19 (2000)
Internet users
160,000 (2005)
Airports
1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
over 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Roadways
total
1,600 km
paved
1,600 km (2004)
Merchant marine
total
58 ships (1000 GRT or over) 433,390 GRT/664,998 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 11, cargo 32, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned
57 (Bahamas, The 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 1, Monaco 1, Norway 29, UAE 1, UK 5)
registered in other countries
1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Bridgetown
Military branches
Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
71,524
females age 18-49
72,302 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
54,510
females age 18-49
54,889 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.5% (2006 est.)
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 (2005)
Disputes - international
in April 2006, the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued a decision that delimited a maritime boundary with Trinidad and Tobago and compelled Barbados to enter a fishing agreement limiting Barbadian fishermen's catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; in 2005, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory international arbitration under UNCLOS challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends into Barbadian waters; 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
