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Barbados
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Official Name: Barbados
National Anthem: 
Capital: Bridgetown, population 10,000
Area: 430 Sq Km (166 Sq Mi)
Estimated 2002 Population:276,607
Location:13° 10′ 0″ N 59° 32′ 0″ W
Time Zone
UTC -4
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Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands, lying east of the windward group of islands. It is of a triangular shape and ringed by a coral reef. The island is of coral and limestone formation, and is comparatively flat with a series of tablelands that rise from the west coast to a ridge in the center with Mt. Hillaby the country's highest point at 340 m (984 feet). Although there are no rivers, valleys temporarily fill with water during heavy rainfall and water courses as well as underground channels do exist. Major Cities (pop. est.); Bridgetown 6,000, Speightstown 3,500 (1990). Land Use; forested 12%, pastures 5%, agricultural-cultivated 36%, other 47% (1993). MORE
Barbados has a tropical maritime climate with temperatures tempered by the NE trade winds particularly during the dry season. The dry season is relatively cool and occurs between December to May. The wet season between June and December, is hotter with higher humidity and greater rainfall. Average annual precipitation varies from around 1,000 mm (39 inches) in the coastal areas to 2,280 mm (90 inches) in the central ridge area. Average temperature ranges for Bridgetown are from 21 to 28 degrees Celsius (70 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit) in February to 23 to 30 degrees Celsius (73 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit) in June or September.
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The principal ethnic majority are Black African descendants who account for 80% of the population. Other ethnic minorities include Whites who only account for 4% of the population while Mulattoes, who are of mixed African and White descent account for 16% and East Indians account for only .4%.
The influence of the English on Barbados is more noticeable than on other islands in the West Indies. A good example of this is the island's national sport: cricket. Barbados has brought forth several great cricket players, including Garfield Sobers and Frank Worrell.
Citizens are officially called Barbadian, however residents of Barbados colloquially refer to themselves or the products of the country as "Bajan". The term "Bajan", may have come from a localized pronunciation of the word Barbadian which at times can sound more like "Bar-bajan". The term Barbadian, is used less frequently than is "Bajan".
The largest Carnival cultural events which take place in Barbados are the Congaline Festival and Crop Over Festival as known internationally.
As is the case in many of the other Caribbean and Latin American countries, Carnival is an important event for many people on the island, as well as the thousands of tourists that flock to the island to participate in the annual events.
The smaller of the two events is the Congaline Festival, which takes place during the last week of March. The Crop Over Carnival which includes various musical competitions, and other traditional activities usually kicks into high gear from the beginning of July, and ends in its entirety during the first week of August.
The Crop Over festival closes with Grand Kadooment a large parade on the final day of fetivities.
Density; 600 persons per sq km (1,554 persons per sq mi) (1991). Urban-Rural; 44.7% urban, 55.3% rural (1990). Sex Distribution; 47.7% male, 52.3% female (1990). Life Expectancy at Birth; 71.9 years male, 76.9 years female (1990). Age Breakdown; 25% under 15, 29% 15 to 29, 20% 30 to 44, 11% 45 to 59, 15% 60 and over (1989). Birth Rate; 16.8 per 1,000 (1990). Death Rate; 8.6 per 1,000 (1990). Increase Rate; 8.2 per 1,000 (1990). Infant Mortality Rate; 10.9 per 1,000 live births (1990). MORE
Queen Elizabeth II is nominally recognized as Queen of Barbados, head of state as represented by a Governor General. In Barbados the Queen is styled "By the Grace of God, Queen of Barbados and of Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth." The present government is proposing that Barbados become a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, with a ceremonial president replacing the Queen. This issue still being hotly debated as the island has been governmentally autonomous for decades.
Barbados has been an independent state in the Commonwealth since November 30, 1966, and as such functions as a parliamentary democracy modelled after the British Westminster system. Control of the government is held by the Cabinet and is responsible to the Parliament, which comrpises a 30-seat House of Assembly and a 21-seat Senate. Barbados is one of the most secure democracies in the Caribbean. Executive power is in the hands of the prime minister and his cabinet. The prime minister is usually the leader of the winning party in the elections for the House of Assembly, whose members are elected every five years. The Senate has 21 members, and its members are appointed by the governor general.
Barbados is a full and participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
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Mostly Christians with around 70% of the population Anglican and Protestant. The remainder belong to a number of Moravian Methodist Churches and the Roman Catholic Church.
The official language is English, although there are various dialects and the vocabulary contains a number of barbarianisms.
Aged 25 or over and having attained: no formal schooling 0.8%, primary 63.5%, secondary 32.3%, higher 3.3% (1980). Literacy; literate population aged 15 or over 180,000 or 98.0% (1985).
| Modern History - WWII to 1993 |
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In 1951 universal adult suffrage was introduced and in 1954 a full ministerial system of government was established. In 1958 Barbados joined the West Indies Federation, however, the federation collapsed in 1962 due to a failure to reach an agreement with other neighboring islands and the East Caribbean Federation. In 1965 Barbados decided to seek independence on its own and became the fourth British Caribbean dependency to gain independence in 1966. From 1961 to 1976 Barbados took a leading role in establishing the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). Barbados helped to form the Eastern Caribbean Security Alliance in 1982 and in 1983 took part in a US-led invasion of Grenada. In Jan. 1991 Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) was re-elected after general elections for another 5 year term.
In April 1991 the government introduced austerity measures which included a 1.5% stabilization tax on gross income failed to control the government's fiscal deficits and led to considerable unrest. Also during the year, tourism, sugar production and construction activity declined. Following the government's agreement with the International Monetary Fund in mid-1991 for $60 million in funding to stabilize foreign reserves the economy remained depressed.
In April 1992 Harold Blackman resigned from the Finance Ministry and launched a scathing attack on the DLP leadership. In Sept. 1992 the Bardabos Mutual Life Assurance company took over local assets of the scandal-ridden Bank of Credit and Commerce International. During 1993 economic woes continued for the fourth continuous year while in May 1993 the government announced that "cruise tourism" which continued to do well would be further enhanced by a $3 million extension of the Bridgetown cruise terminal. In August 1993, the government, labor and business reached an agreement on a two-year income and pricing policy which froze pay increases and restrained price increases until April 1995. Also during 1993, sugar production dropped to a 62-year low. MORE
The official currency is the Dollar (BDS) divided into 100 Cents.
Its main trading partners are the USA, the UK, Canada and other CARICOM (Caribbean Community and Common Market) countries. MORE
Bananas, Fish, Goats, Limestone, Natural Gas, Onions, Pigs, Poultry, Shellfish, Sheep, Sugar Cane, Vegetables. MORE
Agriculture, Cement, Clothing, Electrical Parts, Molasses, Pharmaceuticals, Processed Foods, Rum, Sugar Refining, Textiles, Tourism. MORE
Cement, Clothing, Electrical Parts, Medical Supplies, Molasses, Rum, Sugar. MORE
Railroads; nil. Roads; length 1,573 km (977 mi) (1989). Vehicles; cars 38,711 (1989), trucks and buses 8,627 (1989). Merchant Marine; vessels 35 (1990), deadweight tonnage 7,781 (1990). Air Transport; N/A.
Daily Newspapers; total of 2 with a total circulation of 41,405 (1994). Radio; receivers 224,000 (1994). Television; receivers 69,350 (1994). Telephones; units 110,960 (1992).
154 (1989) total active duty personnel with 100% coast guard while military expenditure accounts for 0.6% (1992) of the Gross National Product (GNP).
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