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Länder
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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% (2005) |
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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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279,912 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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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) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 34.6 years
male: 33.4 years
female: 35.6 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.37% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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12.71 births/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.67 deaths/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2006 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.01
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 11.77
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
72.79 years
male: 70.79 years
female: 74.82 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.65 children born/woman
(2006 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations |
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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 [David THOMPSON] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Barbados Workers Union
[Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG]; 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, 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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$4.841 billion (2005
est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$2.977 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 (PPP):
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$17,400 (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 - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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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 bbl/day |
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day |
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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 (2003
est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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29.17 million cu m (2003
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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141.6 million cu m (1
January 2002)
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Exports:
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$209 million (2004 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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sugar and molasses, rum,
other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components |
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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 - commodities:
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consumer goods,
machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel,
electrical components
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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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Currency code:
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BBD |
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Exchange rates:
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Barbadian dollars per US
dollar - 2 (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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135,700 (2004) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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200,100 (2004) |
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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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Radios:
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237,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (plus two cable
channels) (2004)
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Televisions:
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76,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.bb |
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Internet hosts:
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241 (2005) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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19 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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150,000 (2005) |
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Airports:
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1 (2005) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2005) |
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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: 57 ships
(1000 GRT or over) 450,391 GRT/703,307 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 32, chemical tanker 6,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2, specialized
tanker 1
foreign-owned: 55 (The Bahamas 1, Canada 8, Greece 11, Lebanon 2,
Monaco 1, Norway 24, UAE 1, UK 7)
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 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
females age 18-49: 72,302 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 18-49:
51,298
females age 18-49: 54,889 (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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Transnational Issues |
Barbados |
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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 the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (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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Information |
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Här hittar du information om alla världens länder. Listan fylls på efter hand
som jag har tid. Tyvärr så är informationen på engelska. |
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-SM3VVZ |
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