Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

 
Central Intelligence Agency
The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence
CIA - The World Factbook The World Factbook Home
CIA - The World Factbook
page last updated on May 10, 2010
Flag of Barbados
(CONTAINS DESCRIPTION)
Location of Barbados
Click flag or map to enlarge Opens in New Window
 
Map of Barbados
Click map to enlarge Opens in New Window
No Photos available for Barbados
 
no photos available of Barbados
Expand All | collapse All
Introduction ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
Back to Top
Geography ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
13 10 N, 59 32 W
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 430 sq km
country comparison to the world: 200
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 km
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
97 km
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Current Weather
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
petroleum, fish, natural gas
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (2005)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
50 sq km (2003)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0.1 cu km (2003)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 0.09 cu km/yr (33%/44%/22%)
per capita: 333 cu m/yr (2000)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
easternmost Caribbean island
Back to Top
People ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
285,653 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0-14 years: 19.1% (male 27,252/female 27,243)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 100,233/female 103,416)
65 years and over: 9.6% (male 10,708/female 16,801) (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 36.2 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 37.2 years (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0.374% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
12.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
urban population: 40% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
at birth: 1.012 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 12.09 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 138
male: 13.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total population: 74.14 years
country comparison to the world: 100
male: 71.88 years
female: 76.42 years (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1.68 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
2,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
English
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% (2002 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2001)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
6.9% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 24
Back to Top
Government ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
name: Bridgetown
geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
30 November 1966 (from the UK)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
30 November 1966
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
18 years of age; universal
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
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 David THOMPSON (since 16 January 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 seats; members appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at his discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held on 15 January 2008 (next to be called in 2013)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP 52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Supreme Court of Judicature consists of a High Court and a Court of Appeal (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice or CCJ is the highest court of appeal; based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David COMISSIONG]
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes the BWU, NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD]
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
chief of mission: Ambassador John BEALE
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
consulate(s): Los Angeles
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary M. OURISMAN
embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB 14006
mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055
telephone: [1] (246) 227-4399
FAX: [1] (246) 431-0179
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
Back to Top
Economy ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism with about three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being attributed to services. Growth has rebounded since 2003, bolstered by increases in construction projects and tourism revenues, reflecting its success in the higher-end segment, but the sector faced declining revenues in 2009 with the global economic downturn. The country enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners and thrive from having the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The public debt-to-GDP ratio rose to over 100% in 2009, largely because a sharp slowdown in tourism and financial services led to a wide budget deficit.
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$5.278 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
$5.43 billion (2008 est.)
$5.392 billion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$3.637 billion (2009 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-2.8% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
0.7% (2008 est.)
3.3% (2007 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$18,500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
$19,200 (2008 est.)
$19,100 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
175,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
agriculture: 10%
industry: 15%
services: 75% (1996 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
10.7% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
NA%
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million (2000 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
NA (2009)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
5.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
10% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 23
12% (31 December 2007)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
10.03% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 80
10.8% (31 December 2007)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$1.637 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 84
$1.478 billion (31 December 2007)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$3.701 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 83
$2.717 billion (31 December 2007)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$4.554 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 88
$3.533 billion (31 December 2007)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$NA (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 83
$5.599 billion (31 December 2007)
$4.954 billion (31 December 2006)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-3.2% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1.003 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
939.9 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
9,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1,750 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
10,390 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
2.17 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
29.17 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
29.17 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
141.6 million cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
-$254 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$385 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 171
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Trinidad and Tobago 15.6%, Jamaica 13.9%, Brazil 9.9%, US 8.6%, UK 7.8%, Saint Lucia 7.2%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.5% (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$1.586 billion (2006)
country comparison to the world: 160
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
US 26.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 25.4%, Russia 7%, Colombia 6.4%, Germany 4.1% (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$620 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 117
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
$668 million (2003)
country comparison to the world: 152
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Back to Top
Communications ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
150,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 132
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
406,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 160
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
general assessment: island-wide automatic telephone system
domestic: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density approaching 150 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
AM 2, FM 13, shortwave 0 (2009)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
.bb
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
235 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 185
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
188,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 139
Back to Top
Transportation ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
1 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 212
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 1,600 km
country comparison to the world: 176
paved: 1,600 km (2004)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
total: 85
country comparison to the world: 53
by type: bulk carrier 15, cargo 50, chemical tanker 7, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2
foreign-owned: 80 (Canada 9, Greece 12, India 1, Iran 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 38, Sweden 7, Syria 1, UK 9)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Bridgetown
Back to Top
Military ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2009)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger requires parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
males age 16-49: 74,418
females age 16-49: 74,450 (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
males age 16-49: 58,532
females age 16-49: 58,542 (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
male: 1,897
female: 1,884 (2010 est.)
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
0.8% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 147
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit activities (2007)
Back to Top
Transnational Issues ::Barbados
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order.
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center
Back to Top
Expand All | collapse All
The online Factbook is updated bi-weekly. ISSN 1553-8133
For additional information on government leaders in selected foreign countries, go to World Leaders.