About Barbados: Geography
Overview | Weather & Climate | Barbados Information

Statistical Information Summary of Barbados

Original Inhabitants

Arawak Indians

Discovered

Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos 1536

Claimed

England, May 14th 1625 by Captain John Powell

Settlement

February 17th 1627, Captain Henry Powell (80 settlers and 10 slaves)

Independence, Constitution

30th November 1966, Errol Barrow

Capital

Bridgetown: South-west coast

Divisions:

Parishes (11)

St Michael (city Bridgetown)
Christ Church
St. Andrew
St. George
St. James
St. John
St. Joseph
St. Lucy
St. Peter
St. Philip
St. Thomas

Currency

Barbados Dollars (BDS) (BBD)
Rate - US$1.00 = BDS$1.98 (Stable)
Fixed to the U.S Dollar

Nationality

Barbadian (noun & adjective)
Colloquial - Bajan

Language

English
Dialect - Bajan

Location

Between Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Most easterly of the Caribbean islands (part of the Lesser Antilles)
Coordinates - 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map Reference - Central America, Caribbean (north-east of Venezuela or south-east or Miami)

Neighbours:

West - St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
South - Guyana, Puerto Rico

Time Zone:

Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST)
phone: (246) 976-TIME
Standard Time: Greenwich Mean Time ((- 4) hours), UTC-4
(1 hour ahead of Washington, DC)
No Daylight Saving Time

Topography

Mainly of limestone Coral - Coralline Limestone: 85% (24 - 30metres thick)
Non-volcanic
Terrain: Flat and low-lying - Terrace Plains & Rolling Hills
Rises gently towards the central highland area
Sugar cane estates, pastures, marshes, mangrove, swamps, rivers
Coralline Limestone - 85% (24 - 30metres thick)

Land area

430 sq. km, 166 sq. miles
Widest point - 23 km (14 miles)
Long - 34 km (21 miles)
Highest point (Mount Hillaby) - 336 metres or 1,100 above sea level (Scotland District)
Lowest Point (Atlantic Ocean - 0 m
Boundaries - 0 km
Coastline - 97 km
Water - 0 sq km

Land use

Arable Land - 37.21%
Permanent Crops - 2.33%
Permanent Pastures - 5%
Forest, Woodland - 12%
Irrigated - 50 sq km
Other - 60.46%

Maritime Boundaries

Economic Zone - 200 nm
Territorial - 12 nm

Population

280,946 (2007)
Rural Areas - 85%
Annual Growth Rate - 0.369% (2007)

Labour Force

147,200 (2005)
Agriculture: 10% Industry: 15% Services: 75%

Unemployment

8.5% (2005)

Adult Literacy

97.6%

Birth rate per 1000

12.61 (2007)

Death Rate per 1000

8.61 (2007)

Infant Mortality

Deaths - 11.55
Births - 1,000 (2007)

Fertility Rate

1.65 children

Age Structure

Over 65 years	8.9%
15 - 64 years	71.4%
Under 14 & under	19.7%
Sex Ratio (Gender): 0.938 (males to each female) (2007)

Ethnic Groups

Black	90%
White	4%
Indian, Chinese, Asian, mixed	6%
Migration Rate per 1000 (Net)	-0.31

Life Expectancy

Average life expectancy - 73 years Median age: 35 years Males - 33.8 years Females: 36 years.

Religion

Majority - Christian
Minority - Hindu, Muslim, Jew

Anglican	40%
Protestant	67%
Pentecostal	8%
Methodist	7%
Roman Catholics	4%
Muslim, Hindu, Judaism, Baptist	12%

More info on religion in Barbados

Climate, Temperatures

Influenced by Northeast Trade Winds Sub-tropical: 28 - 31 degrees C
Dry Season (December - May) - Not unbearably hot
Rainy Season (June - November)
Average Rainfall: Central Areas (high) - 187.5 cm, Coastal Areas (low) - 127.5 cm
Humidity: 63% - 76%
More Info on the Weather and Climate of Barbados

Education

Primary (free)
Secondary (free)
Tertiary

Literacy Rate:

High (15 years & over - Tertiary & beyond) > Average - 97.4% Males - 98% Females - 96.8%

Health

500 people per doctor; 80 beds per 10 000 population

Social Welfare

Unemployment, Illness, Industrial injuries, Maternity, Retirement, Death benefits

Utilities

Water: Barbados Water Authority Limited (BWA). Pumped from wells within natural coral aquifers.
Electricity: Barbados Light & Power (BL&P) (110 volts, 50 cycles): fossil fuel: 100%
Telephones: Cable & Wireless Bartel (C&W) Natural gas

Communication

Satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat -Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad & St. Lucia
Telephones: area code (246) - domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system
Mobile Phones:
Radio: Broadcast Stations - AM 2, FM 6, shortwave 0 Television: Broadcast stations - 1 (plus 2 cable channels)
Internet: code - .bb Barbados External Communications (BET)

Transport

Paved Roads (drive on left hand side) - Comprehensive national road network

Ports

International Airport- 1
Sea Port - 1 Deep Water Harbour)
Cruise Terminal - (1)

Public Transport

Bus Terminals - (3)

Government

Parliamentary Democracy
Head of State: Prime Minister

Parliament

The Barbados Parliament

Military

Royal Barbados Defence Force, Barbados Coast Guard

Economy

Stable
Main Industry - Tourism
Other Industries: Sugar, Agriculture, Oil, Rum Distillation, Offshore Financial Services, light manufacturing, Component assembly for export
Fiscal Year - 1 April - 31 March
Industrial production growth rate: -3.2%
Agriculture Products: Sugarcane, Vegetables, Cotton
Inflation Rate: -0.5%

Imports

Consumer goods, Machinery, Fuel, Foodstuffs, Construction materials, Chemicals, Electrical components
Partners: US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Japan

Exports

Sugar, Molasses, Rum, Foods and beverages, Chemicals, Electrical components
Partners: US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, St Lucia, Jamaica, Grenada, St Vincent

Investment

Excellent investment opportunities and incentives

Natural Resourses

Petroleum, Natural Gas, Fish

Natural Hazzards

Infrequent hurricanes, Periodic landslides