NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Barbados
INTRODUCTION
|
Background:
|
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. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
13 10 N, 59 32 W |
|
Map references:
|
Central America and the Caribbean |
|
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 |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33% other: 60.46% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
10 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: 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: Biodiversity |
|
Geography - note:
|
easternmost Caribbean island |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
276,607 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 29,888; female 29,338)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 94,214; female 98,811) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,378; female 14,978) (2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.46% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
13.32 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
11.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 73.49 years
female: 76.12 years (2002 est.) male: 70.9 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.64 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
1.17% (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
1,800 (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
130 (1999 est.) |
|
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: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.) |