Barbados
none conventional short form: Barbados
parliamentary democracyIndependence 30 November 1966 (from UK)
Barbados as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 113 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Its economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
Geography
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
18 fieldsLocation
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Land use
arable land: 37% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 12% other: 46% (1993 est.)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
People
18 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2001 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 21.68% (male 30,122; female 29,572) 15-64 years: 69.44% (male 93,283; female 97,915) 65 years and over: 8.88% (male 9,432; female 15,006) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.25 years male: 70.66 years female: 75.86 years (2001 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; 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 6 September 1994)
20 fieldsLegislature, 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 (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 monarch is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch;
- 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 20 January 1999 (next to be held by January 2004) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 26, DLP 2
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)
Political parties and leaders
- Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR];
- Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON];
- National Democratic Party or NDP [Richard HAYNES]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN];
- Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG];
- People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY];
- Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]
International organization participation
ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael KING chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador James A. DALEY 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 production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism.
32 fieldsTrading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996-2000.
Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. Growth should remain steady in 2001, with new tourist facilities a plus factor.
Budget
revenues: $725.5 million expenditures: $750.6 million, including capital expenditures of $126.3 million (FY97/98 est.)
Exports - commodities
sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing
Imports - commodities
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- NA domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
- tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine
total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 671,545 GRT/1,125,635 DWT ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 28, combination bulk 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Canada 2, Hong Kong 1 (2000 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 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Barbados.” The World Factbook 2001. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/barbados/2001.