Barbados

parliamentary democracyIndependence 30 November 1966 (from UK)

Barbados as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 66 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

254,626 people July 1991 · 262,688 in 1990

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

1.8 children per woman 1991 · 2.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

23 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 16 in 1990

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

10 fields

Total area

430km2

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

Coastline

97 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Land use

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

Environment

subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)

People

14 fields

Population

254,626

(July 1991), growth rate 0.1% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

16Death

Ethnic divisions

African 80%mixed 16%European 4%

Religion(1980)

Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%)Roman Catholic 4%none 17%unknown 3%other 9% (1980)

Literacy

99%

(male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)

Nationality

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

Labor force

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy

17 fields

House of Assembly, 28 seats, elected 22 January 1991one dot, one seat

DLP 18BLP 10

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 be 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) 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 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996);
results--DLP 49.8%;
seats--(28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10

Other political or pressure groups

Industrial and General Workers Union, Sir Frank WALCOTT;
People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY;
Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE

ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, 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 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 $6,500 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.7billion

per capita $6,500; real growth rate 3.6% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

6.2%

(1989)

Unemployment

18%

(1990)

External debt

$550million

(June 1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$501 millionExpenditures

$484 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $113 million (FY91)

Overview

A per capita income of $6,500 gives Barbados one of the highest standards 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. An unemployment rate of 18% remains one of the most serious economic problems facing the country.

Exports

$165 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment;
partners:
- CARICOM 30%,
- US 20%,
- UK 20%

Imports

$701 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction materials, chemicals;
partners--US 35%, CARICOM 13%, UK 12%, Japan 6%, Canada 8%, Venezuela 4%