Barbados
parliamentary democracyIndependence 30 November 1966 (from UK)
Barbados as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Caribbean, in the extreme eastern Caribbean Sea, about 375 km | northeast of Venezuela
23 fieldstotal area
430 sq km
land area
430 sq km
comparative area
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
arable land
77%
permanent crops
0%
meadows and pastures
9%
forest and woodland
0%
other
14%
current issues
- pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships;
- soil erosion;
- illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
natural hazards
subject to hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic landslides
international agreements
party to - Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
People
21 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1994 est.)
Religions(1980)
total population
73.83 years
male
71.11 years
female
76.76 years (1994 est.)
noun
Barbadian(s)
adjective
Barbadian
total population
99%
male
99%
female
99%
by occupation
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
33 fieldsLegislature, 28 seatsone dot, one seat
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Barbados
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
the new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990)
head of government
Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Philip Marlowe GREAVES (since 2 June 1987)
cabinet
Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on advice of the prime minister
House of Assembly
- election last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996);
- results - DLP 49.8%;
- seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD;
- Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Owen ARTHUR;
- National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
Other political or pressure groups
- Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN;
- People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY;
- Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE;
- Clement Payne Labor Union, David COMMISSIONG
Member of
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
chief of mission
Ambassador Dr. Rudi Valentine WEBSTER
chancery
2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general
New York
consulate(s)
Los Angeles
chief of mission
Ambassador Jeanette W. HYDE
embassy
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown
mailing address
P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055
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 $8,700 gives Barbados one of the highest | standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern | Caribbean.
25 fieldsOverview
A per capita income of $8,700 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 sugar cane 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. The economy slowed in 1990-92 as Bridgetown's difficulty in financing its deficits caused it to exert control over domestic demands
revenues
$547 million
expenditures
$620 million, including capital expenditures of $60 million (FY92-93)
commodities
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing
partners
US 13%, UK 13%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 7.8%
commodities
machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
partners
US 33%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 5%
capacity
152,100 kW
production
540 million kWh
consumption per capita
2,118 kWh (1992)
Agriculture
- accounts for 6% of GDP;
- major cash crop is sugarcane;
- other crops - vegetables, cotton;
- not self-sufficient in food
recipient
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million
Communications
12 fieldstotal
1,570 km
paved
1,475 km
unpaved
gravel, earth 95 km
total
1
usable
1
with permanent-surface runways
1
with runways over 3,659 m
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
0
Telecommunications
- island wide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones;
- tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia;
- broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV;
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast | Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
4 fieldsBranches
Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Barbados.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/barbados/1994.