Barbados

parliamentary democracyIndependence 30 November 1966 (from UK)

Barbados as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBridgetown

Area430 km2

Populationas each edition published it

262,688 people July 1990 · 304,139 in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.18% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 33.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 73.49 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.1 children per woman 1990 · 1.24 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

16 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 15.1 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $7,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -4% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 430 km2

arable land 77%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 9%forest and woodland 0%other 14%

Total area

430km2

land area: 430 km2Comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

97km

land boundaries: noneTerritorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Environment

subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)

People

14 fields

Population

262,688

(July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

18Death

Ethnic divisions

African 80%mixed 16%European 4%

Religion

Anglican 70%Methodist 9%Roman Catholic 4%other 17%including Moravian

Literacy

99%

Nationality

noun--Barbadian(s); adjective--Barbadian

Labor force

112,300;
37% services and government;
22% commerce, 22% manufacturing and construction;
9% transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions;
8% agriculture;
2% utilities (1985 est.)

Government

Parliamentary democracy

18 fields

House of Assembly, 27 seats, elected 28 May 1986one dot, one seat

DLP 24BLP 3

Percent of vote

DLP 59.4%BLP 40.6%

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--there may a new city of Bridgetown

Legal system

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Executive branch

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Judicature Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Hugh SPRINGER (since 24 February 1984);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine Sandiford;
Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry Forde;
National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie Haynes

Suffrage

universal at age 18 House of Assembly--last held 28 May 1986 (next to be held by May 1991);
results--DLP 59.4%, BLP 40.6%;
seats--(27 total) DLP 24, BLP 3;
note--a split in the DLP in February 1989 resulted in the formation of the NDP, changing the status of seats to DLP 20, NDP 4, BLP 3

Other political or pressure groups

Industrial and General Workers Union, Bobby Clarke;
People's Progressive Movement, Eric Sealy;
Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George Belle

ACP, CARICOM, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Sir William DOUGLAS;
Chancery at 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 939-9200 through 9202;
there is a Barbadian Consulate General in New York and a Consulate in Los Angeles;
US--Ambassador-nominee G. Philip HUGHES;
Embassy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown (mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown or FPO Miami 34054);
telephone (809) 436-4950 through 4957

Flag

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, 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

A per capita income of $5,250 gives Barbados the highest standard of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.3billion

per capita $5,250 (1988 est.); real growth rate 3.7% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

4.7%

(1988)

Unemployment

18.6%

(1988)

External debt

$635million

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$476 millionExpenditures

$543 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $94 million (FY86)

Overview

A per capita income of $5,250 gives Barbados the highest standard of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism.

The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. A high unemployment rate of about 19% in 1988 remains one of the most serious economic problems facing the country.

Exports

$173 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--sugar and molasses, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment;
partners:
- US 30%,
- CARICOM,
- UK,
- Puerto Rico,
- Canada