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NAVIGATION
Barbados
GOVERNMENT
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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 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6 September 1994) 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 (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 20 January 1999 (next to be held by January 2004) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 26, DLP 2 |
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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]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Richard HAYNES] |
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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, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING
consulate(s): Los Angeles consulate(s) general: Miami and New York FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Earl N. PHILLIPS, Jr.
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 |
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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) |
ECONOMY
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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 manufacturing and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2001 due to slowdowns in tourism and consumer spending. Growth will remain anemic in 2002 with a recovery likely near the end of the year. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $4 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-2% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2001 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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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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3.5% (2001 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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services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10% (2001 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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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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740 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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688.2 million kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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sugarcane, vegetables, cotton |
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Exports:
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$272 million (2000) |
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Exports - commodities:
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sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing |
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Exports - partners:
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Caribbean Community 43.2%, US 15.3%, UK 13.2% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$1.16 billion (2000) |
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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 40.8%, Caribbean Community 19.8%, UK 8.1%, Japan 5.2%, Canada 4.2% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$425 million |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$9.1 million (1995) |
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Currency:
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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 - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |