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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast
of Venezuela |
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 10 N,
59 32 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
431 sq km
land: 431 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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2.5 times
the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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97 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
rainy season (June to October) |
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Terrain:
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relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, fish, natural gas |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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10 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides |
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Environment - current issues:
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pollution
of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil
erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens
contamination of aquifers |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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easternmost Caribbean island |
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Population:
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279,254
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 20.6% (male 28,813/female 28,634)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 96,590/female 100,622)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,432/female
15,163) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
34.15 years
male: 32.99 years
female: 35.28 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.33%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.83
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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9.17
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.31
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
12.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 72.59 years
male: 70.6 years
female: 74.6 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.65
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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1.5%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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2,500
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6% |
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Religions:
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Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist
7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
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Languages:
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English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% (2002 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados |
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Government type:
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parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state
within the Commonwealth |
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Capital:
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Bridgetown |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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30
November 1966 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 30 November (1966) |
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Constitution:
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30
November 1966 |
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Legal system:
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English
common law; no judicial review of legislative acts |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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 Owen Seymour
ARTHUR (since 7 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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)
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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service
Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Barbados
Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party
or DLP [Clyde Mascoll] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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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]
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
consulate(s): Los Angeles |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Mary E. KRAMER
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 |
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Flag description:
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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:
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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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$4.831
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$3.051
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.5%
(2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $17,300 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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128,500
(2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 10%, industry 15%, services 75% (1996 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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10.7%
(2003 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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-0.5%
(2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $847 million (including grants)
expenditures: $886 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
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Industries:
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tourism,
sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for
export |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-3.2%
(2000 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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819
million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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761.7
million kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Oil - production:
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1,000
bbl/day (2003) |
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Oil - consumption:
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10,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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1.254
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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29.17
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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29.17
million cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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70.79
million cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Exports:
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$209
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports - partners:
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US 20.6%,
UK 14.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.9%, Saint Lucia 6.9%,
Jamaica 6.6%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.1%
(2004) |
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Imports:
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$1.476
billion (2004 est.) |
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Imports - partners:
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US 35.2%,
Trinidad and Tobago 20%, UK 5.6%, Japan 4.3% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$668
million (2003) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$9.1
million (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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Barbadian
dollar (BBD) |
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Exchange rates:
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Barbadian
dollars per US dollar - NA (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003), 2
(2002), 2 (2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April -
31 March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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134,000
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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140,000
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: NA
domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-246; satellite
earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean);
tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM
6, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus
two cable channels) (2004) |
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Internet country code:
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.bb |
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Internet hosts:
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204
(2003) |
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Internet users:
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100,000
(2003) |
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Airports:
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1 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
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Roadways:
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total:
1,600 km
paved: 1,600 km (2003) |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
58 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 427,465 GRT/668,195 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 31, chemical
tanker 6, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll
on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 53 (Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1,
Canada 12, Greece 11, Lebanon 2, Netherlands 1, Norway
17, UAE 1, United Kingdom 7)
registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Bridgetown |
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Military branches:
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Royal
Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command and Coast Guard
(2005) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at
earlier age with parental consent; no conscription
(2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 71,330 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 51,298 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA |
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Military - note:
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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 (2005) |
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Disputes - international:
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in 2005,
Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to compulsory
international arbitration that will result in a binding
award challenging whether the northern limit of Trinidad
and Tobago's and Venezuela's maritime boundary extends
into Barbadian waters and the southern limit of
Barbadian traditional fishing; joins other Caribbean
states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island
sustains human habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS,
which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental
shelf over a large portion of the Caribbean Sea |
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Illicit drugs:
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one of
many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound
for Europe and the US; offshore financial center |
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