The World Factbook CIA Home CIA Home About CIA Careers Offices of CIA News & Information Library Kid’s Page Contact CIA CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

         
  Barbados  
Flag of Barbados
Click to enlarge
Categories Banner
 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 14 May 2009


Map of Barbados




Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order

   Introduction    Barbados Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Barbados Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
total: 431 sq km
land: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
97 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
50 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
0.1 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Definition 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)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Environment - current issues:
Definition 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
Environment - international agreements:
Definition 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
Geography - note:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
easternmost Caribbean island
   People    Barbados Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
284,589 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 27,383/female 27,352)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 99,829/female 103,049)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 10,464/female 16,512) (2009 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
total: 35.8 years
male: 34.7 years
female: 36.9 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
0.383% (2009 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
12.55 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
8.58 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
Definition 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.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
total: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.89 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
total population: 73.94 years
male: 71.65 years
female: 76.26 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
1.68 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
1.2% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
2,200 (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Religions:
Definition 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.)
Languages:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
English
Literacy:
Definition 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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
6.9% of GDP (2005)
   Government    Barbados Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Government type:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
Definition 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)
Administrative divisions:
Definition 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
Independence:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
30 November 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
30 November 1966
Legal system:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition 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
elections: the monarch 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
Legislative branch:
Definition 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 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
Judicial branch:
Definition 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
Political parties and leaders:
Definition 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition 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]
International organization participation:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
ACP, 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
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition 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
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition 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
Flag description:
Definition 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 trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
   Economy    Barbados Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 will likely face declining revenues 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 of about 80% will likely widen as the THOMPSON administration engages in a more expansionary fiscal policy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$5.466 billion (2008 est.)
$5.386 billion (2007)
$5.214 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
$3.777 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
1.5% (2008 est.)
3.3% (2007 est.)
3.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$19,300 (2008 est.)
$19,100 (2007 est.)
$18,500 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
128,500 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
agriculture: 10%
industry: 15%
services: 75% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
10.7% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million (2000 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
5.5% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
12% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
10.8% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$1.478 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$2.717 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$3.533 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$5.599 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Industries:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
-3.2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
1.003 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
939.9 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
1,111 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
8,674 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
1,750 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
10,710 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
2.2 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
29.17 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
29.17 million cu m (2006 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
141.6 million cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
-$254 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$385 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Exports - partners:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
Trinidad and Tobago 15.5%, Jamaica 13.5%, UK 9.4%, US 9.3%, Brazil 8.3%, Saint Lucia 7.2%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.5% (2007)
Imports:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$1.586 billion (2006)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports - partners:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
US 30.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 27.6%, UK 6.5% (2007)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$620 million (2007)
Debt - external:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
$668 million (2003)
Exchange rates:
Definition 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)
   Communications    Barbados Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
134,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
237,100 (2006)
Telephone system:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
general assessment: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of about 85 per 100 persons
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
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 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
1 (plus 2 cable channels) (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
.bb
Internet hosts:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
104 (2008)
Internet users:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
160,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Barbados Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1 (2008)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2008)
Roadways:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
total: 1,600 km
paved: 1,600 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
total: 85
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)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
Bridgetown
   Military    Barbados Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger requires parental consent); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
males age 16-49: 75,265
females age 16-49: 75,389 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
males age 16-49: 58,596
females age 16-49: 58,866 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order
male: 2,015
female: 2,007 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
Definition Field info displayed for all countries in alpha order Comparison to the rest of the world
0.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Military - note:
Definition 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)
   Transnational Issues    Barbados Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
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
Illicit drugs:
Definition 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

This page was last updated on 14 May 2009


Bottom Banner