Find important informations
about Barbados
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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.
Barbados was the administrative headquarters of the Windward Islands until it became a separate colony in 1885. Barbados was a member of the Federation of the West Indies from 1958 to 1962. Britain granted the colony independence on Nov. 30, 1966, and it became a parliamentary democracy within the Commonwealth.
Since independence, Barbados has been politically stable. In May 2003, Prime Minister Arthur won a third term.
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An island in the Atlantic about 300 mi (483 km) north of Venezuela, Barbados is only 21 mi long (34 km) and 14 mi across (23 km) at its widest point. It is circled by fine beaches and narrow coastal plains. The highest point is Mount Hillaby (1,105 ft; 337 m) in the north-central area.
Location: |
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
Coordinates: |
13 10 N, 59 32 W |
Area: |
total: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 431 sq km |
Area comparative: |
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries: |
0 km |
Coastline: |
97 km |
Maritime claims: |
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Climate: |
tropical; rainy season (June to October) |
Terrain: |
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region |
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
Natural resources: |
petroleum, fish, natural gas |
Natural hazards: |
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
Environment - current issues: |
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers |
Geography - note: |
easternmost Caribbean island |
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Population: |
279,912 (July 2006 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 28,160/female 28,039)
15-64 years: 71.1% (male 97,755/female 101,223)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,508/female 15,227) |
Median age: |
34.6 years |
Growth rate: |
0.37% |
Infant mortality: |
11.77 deaths/1,000 live births |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 72.79 years
male: 70.79 years
female: 74.82 years |
Total fertility rate: |
1.65 children born/woman |
Nationality: |
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
Ethnic groups: |
black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% |
Religions: |
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% |
Languages: |
English |
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% |
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Country name: |
conventional short form: Barbados |
Government type: |
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the Commonwealth |
Capital: |
Bridgetown |
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 |
Independence: |
30 November 1966 (from UK) |
National holiday: |
Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
Constitution: |
30 November 1966 |
Legal system: |
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts |
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch: |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II, represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS
head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR; Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY
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: |
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) |
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services) |
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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 was positive in 2005, as economic conditions in the US and Europe moderately improved.
GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $4.841 billion; per capita: $17,400. Real growth rate: 2.5%. Inflation: –0.5% (2003 est.). Unemployment: 10.7% (2003 est.). Arable land: 37.21%. Agriculture: sugarcane, vegetables, cotton. Labor force: 128,500 (2001 est.); services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.). Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export. Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas. Exports: $209 million (2004 est): sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components. Imports: $1.476 billion (2004 est.): consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components. Major trading partners: U.S., UK, Trindad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Japan (2004).
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Barbados
