Barbados
parliamentary democracyIndependence 30 November 1966 (from UK)
Barbados as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 95 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North | Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
18 fieldsLand useshare of 430 sq km
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
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:
- Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- Biodiversity
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Religions(1980)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 24% (male 31,025; female 30,197)
- 15-64 years:
- 66% (male 83,977; female 87,208) 65 years and over : 10% (male 10,002; female 16,347) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth :
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.61 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
21 fieldsHouse of Assembly, 28 seatsone dot, one seat
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 city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (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 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6 September 1994)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
- elections:
- none;
- the queen is a hereditary monarch;
- governor general appointed by the queen;
- prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections :
- House of Assembly - last held 6 September 1994 (next to be held by January 1999)
- election results:
- House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 19, DLP 8, NDP 1
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature, judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON];
- Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR];
- National Democratic Party or NDP [Richard HAYNES]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN];
- People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY];
- Workers' Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE];
- Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG]
International organization participation
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Courtney N. BLACKMAN
- chancery:
- 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-9218, 9219
Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
- telephone :
- [1] (246) 436-4950
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
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been | dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but in | recent years the production has diversified into manufacturing and | tourism.
22 fieldsMore
GDP - composition by sector(1994)
Economy - overview
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but in recent years the production has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996.
The industry generated $331.8 million by the end of June and was expected to double by the end of the year. Prime Minister Owen ARTHUR called for "prudent" financial management to ensure that economic growth would continue. As part of his plan, the Prime Minister introduced a controversial Value Added Tax (VAT) in an effort to reform the tax administration process.
The VAT will be administered at 15% for most industries and 7% for the tourism industry. The government has also continued its efforts to promote regional integration initiatives, to reduce the unacceptably high unemployment rate, and to encourage direct foreign investment.
Exports
- total value:
- $235 million (f.o.b., 1995)
- commodities:
- sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing
- partners:
- US 13%, UK 10%, Trinidad and Tobago 9%, Windward Islands 8%
Imports
- total value:
- $763 million (c.i.f., 1995)
- commodities:
- consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
- partners:
- US 36%, UK 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 3%
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- island wide automatic telephone system
- international:
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Transportation
6 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Merchant marine
- total:
- 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 453,828 GRT/684,470 DWT
- ships by type :
- bulk 16, cargo 27, combination bulk 4, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes Ground | Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force
5 fieldsMilitary branches
Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for the US and Europe BASSAS DA INDIA (possession of France)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Barbados.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/barbados/1997.