CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Barbados


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!| Background:
 * 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 431 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
 * 13 10 N, 59 32 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 431 sq km
 * 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 97 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical; rainy season (June to October)
 * relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
 * lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
 * petroleum, fish, natural gas
 * arable land: 37.21%
 * 10 sq km (1998 est.)
 * infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
 * pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
 * 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
 * easternmost Caribbean island
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 70.3% (male 95,675; female 99,864) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,370; female 15,066) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 32.6 years female: 34.9 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 10.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 14.26 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 69.51 years female: 73.81 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.)
 * 278,289 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 21% (male 29,294; female 29,020)
 * total: 33.7 years
 * 0.36% (2004 est.)
 * 12.98 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
 * total: 12.61 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 71.64 years
 * 1.65 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 1.5% (2003 est.)
 * 2,500 (2003 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
 * black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
 * Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
 * English
 * definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Barbados !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003) 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; 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: elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s): Los Angeles consulate(s) general: Miami and New York FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 telephone: [1] (202) 339-9200 chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; CMR 1014, APO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth
 * Bridgetown
 * 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
 * 30 November 1966 (from UK)
 * Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
 * 30 November 1966
 * English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)
 * bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
 * Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)
 * Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Clyde Mascoll]
 * 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]
 * ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER
 * 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)
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 16% services: 78% (2000 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $886 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002-03 mainly due to a decline in tourism. Growth should be positive in 2004, the precise level largely dependent on economic conditions in the US and Europe.
 * purchasing power parity - $4.355 billion (2003 est.)
 * 2.2% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $15,700 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 6%
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * -0.5% (2003 est.)
 * 128,500 (2001 est.)
 * agriculture 10%, industry 15%, services 75% (1996 est.)
 * 10.7% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $847 million (including grants)
 * sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
 * tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
 * -3.2% (2000 est.)
 * 780 million kWh (2001)
 * 725.4 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 1,271 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 10,900 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 1.254 million bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 29.17 million cu m (2001 est.)
 * 29.17 million cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 70.79 million cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $206 million (2002)
 * sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
 * US 18.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 14.5%, UK 14%, Jamaica 7.8%, Saint Lucia 6.2%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.7% (2003)
 * $1.039 billion (2002)
 * consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
 * US 37.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 19.6%, UK 6.2%, Japan 4.4% (2003)
 * $668 million (2003)
 * $9.1 million (1995)
 * Barbadian dollar (BBD)
 * BBD
 * Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2003), 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999)
 * 1 April - 31 March
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: country code - 1-246; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 134,000 (2003)
 * 140,000 (2003)
 * general assessment: NA
 * AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
 * 237,000 (1997)
 * 1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)
 * 76,000 (1997)
 * .bb
 * 204 (2003)
 * 19 (2000)
 * 100,000 (2003)
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!| Highways: paved: 1,719 km unpaved: 74 km (1999) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: by type: bulk 11, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 3 (2004 est.) foreign-owned: Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Canada 5, Greece 7, Hong Kong 7, Italy 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 9, United Kingdom 10 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * total: 1,793 km
 * Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)
 * total: 42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 427,465 GRT/668,195 DWT
 * 1 (2003 est.)
 * total: 1
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Royal Barbados Defense Force (Troops Command and Coast Guard)
 * 18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)
 * males age 15-49: 77,714 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 53,127 (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
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