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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 1 usable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km gravel and earth

Merchant marine [time series]

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,710 GRT79,263 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 oil tanker

Ports [time series]

Bridgetown

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 2 (1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(possession of France)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 70,254; fit for military service 49,096 (1993 est.); no conscription

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 8% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops - vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food

Budget [time series]

revenues $547 million; expenditures $620 million (FY92-93), including capital expenditures of $60 million

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million

Electricity [time series]

152,100 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 2,118 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate)

Exports [time series]

$205.8 million (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum, machinery and transport equipment partners: CARICOM 31%, US 16%, UK 13%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$750 million (1991 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Imports [time series]

$697 million (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil, construction materials, chemicals partners: US 34%, CARICOM 16%, UK 11%, Canada 6%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -1.3% (1991); accounts for 10% of GDP

Industries [time series]

tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.1% (1991)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion ( 1991)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$7,000 (1991)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-4% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

A per capita income of $7,000 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean. Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. The economy slowed in 1990-91, however, and Bridgetown's declining hard currency reserves and inability to finance its deficits have caused it to adopt an austere economic reform program.

Unemployment rate [time series]

23% (1992)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 430 km2 land area: 430 km2 comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Coastline [time series]

97 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA km2

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 77% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 14%

Location [time series]

in the extreme eastern Caribbean Sea, about 375 km northeast of Venezuela

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, fishing, natural gas

Note [time series]

easternmost Caribbean island

Terrain [time series]

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status

Capital [time series]

Bridgetown

Constitution [time series]

30 November 1966

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-9200 through 9202 consulate general: New York consulate: Los Angeles

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

House of Assembly: last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results - DLP 49.8%; seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, 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)

Independence [time series]

30 November 1966 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Judicature

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990) Head of Government: Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)

Legal system [time series]

English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Barbados

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 30 November (1966)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN; People's Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE; Clement Payne Labor Union, David COMMISSIONG

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP), Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

parliamentary democracy

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Box B, FPO AA 34054 telephone: (809) 436-4950 through 4957 FAX: (809) 429-5246

People

Birth rate [time series]

15.78 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

21.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

120,900 (1991) by occupation: services and government 37%, commerce 22%, manufacturing and construction 22%, transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 9%, agriculture 8%, utilities 2% (1985 est.)

Languages [time series]

English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 73.49 years male: 70.75 years female: 76.46 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970) total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Barbadian(s) adjective: Barbadian

Net migration rate [time series]

-5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

255,338 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.18% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.77 children born/woman (1993 est.)