General information: The island was uninhabited when it was settled by the British in 1627. Its economy during the 20th century. remained heavily dependent on the production of sugar, rum and molasses (molasses). In the 1990s tourism and manufacturing have become the most important for the economy. See areacodesexplorer.com to know more about Barbados History.
Location: Caribbean region, an island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela.
Geographic coordinates: 13° 10′ N. latitude, 59° 32′ W e.
Reference map: Central America and the Caribbean.
Area: total: 430 sq. km.; land surface area: 430 km2; water surface area: 0 km2
Comparative area: 2.5 times the size of Washington DC.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 97 km.
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October).
Terrain: relatively flat terrain, rising moderately to form a plateau in the center of the island.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m.
Natural resources: oil, fish, natural gas.
Land use: arable land: 37%; cultivated land: 0%; pastures: 5%; forests and plantations: 12%; others: 46% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: no data.
Natural hazards: rare hurricanes; periodic landslides.
Current environmental issues: pollution of coastal waters by discharges from ships; soil erosion; illegal dumping of solid waste polluting aquifers.
International agreements on environmental protection: member: Climate change, Kyoto protocol, Desertification, Endangered species, Hazardous wastes, Law of the sea, Marine pollution, Ozone layer protection, Pollution from ships; signed but not ratified: Biodiversity.
Note to the section “Geography”: the easternmost of the Caribbean islands.
Population: 275,330 (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 21.68% (male 30,122; female 29,572); 15 to 64 years old: 69.44% (male 99,283; female 97,915); over 65: 8.88% (male 9,423; female 15,006) (2001 est.).
Population growth: 0.46% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 13.47 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 8.53 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: -0.32 people /1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.01 male/female; up to 15 years: 1.02 male/female; from 15 to 64 years old: 0.95 male; over 65: 0.63 male/female; for the general population: 0.93 male/female (2001 est.).
Child mortality: 12.04 deaths/1000 births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 73.25 years; men: 70.66 years; women: 75.86 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 1.64 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: 1.17% (1999 OC).
Number of people infected with HIV: 1,800 (1999 est.).
AIDS deaths: 130 (1999 est.).
Nationality: noun: resident of Barbados; adjective: Barbadian.
Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 4%, other 16%.
Religious: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, non-denominational 17%, other 12%.
Literacy: Definition: Persons aged 15 and over who have ever attended school; for the general population: 97.4%; men: 98%; women: 96.8% (1995 est.). State Name:
Common long form: no;
Common short form: Barbados
State structure: parliamentary democracy; an independent sovereign state within the British Commonwealth of Nations.
Administrative divisions: 11 districts: Christ Church, St. Andrew, St. James, St. Joseph, St. John, St. George, St. Lucy, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Thomas, St. Phipip; note: City of Bridgetown enjoys borough rights.
Independence: from November 30, 1966 (until 1966 – a colony of Great Britain).
National holiday: Independence Day, November 30 (1966).
Constitution: adopted November 30, 1966
Legal system: English common law; legislative acts cannot be considered in court.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the 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 September 6, 1994);
Government: cabinet appointed by the governor-general on the nomination of the prime minister; elections: no, hereditary monarchy; the governor general is appointed by the monarch; the prime minister is appointed by the governor general.
Legislature: Bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21 members; appointed by the Governor General) and the House of Assembly (28 seats; members elected by direct popular vote for five years); elections: House of Assembly – last held 20 January 1999 (next to be held January 2004); election results: House of Assembly, distribution of votes between parties: NA; distribution of seats among parties: BLP 26, DLP 2.
Judiciary: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for Judicial and Legal Affairs).
Political parties and leaders: Barbados Labor Party (BLP) (Owen Seymour ARTHUR); Democratic Labor Party (DLP) (David THOMPSON); National Democratic Party (NDP) (Richard HAYNES).
Political pressure groups and their leaders: Barbados Labor Union (Leroy TROTMAN); Clement Payne Labor Union (David COMMISSIONG); People’s Progressive Movement (Eric SEALY); Barbados Labor Party (Dr. George BELLE).
Participation in international organizations: АСР, С, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO.
Diplomatic representation in the USA: Chief of Mission: Ambassador Michael KING; office: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone:  (202) 939-9200; consulates general: Miami and New York; Consulate: Los Angeles
US Mission: Chief of Mission: Ambassador James A. DALEY; \ embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; mailing address: R. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055; phone:  (246) 436-4950; fax: [C (246) 429-5246.
Description of the flag: three equal vertical stripes of blue (left and right) and gold (in the center); in the middle of the golden stripe is a black trident, representing independence and a break with the past.