North & Central America and Caribbean

Barbados
Last reviewed: 7 May 2010

Country information

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Map of Barbados

BARBADOS TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 430 sq km; 166 sq miles
Population: 275,000 (June 2007)
Capital City: Bridgetown
People: About 80% of Barbados's population are of African descent, 4% European descent, and 16% mixed. Barbados's population growth rate has been very low, less than 1% since the 1960s.
Languages: English
Religion(s): Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other (e.g. also small Jewish and Muslim communities) 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, other 12%, none 17%.
Currency: Barbadian Dollar (BBD) which is tied to the US Dollar. US$1= BDD1.998
Major Political Parties: Democratic Labour Party (DLP); Barbados Labour Party (BLP); People's Empowerment Party (PEP).
Government: Barbados is an independent state within the Commonwealth. It has a bicameral parliament consisting of a House of Assembly, with 30 members directly elected to serve a five-year term, and a Senate, with 21 members appointed by the Governor General (12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, seven by the Governor General alone). Executive power is vested in the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, who is leader of the majority party in the elected Assembly. Universal suffrage was introduced in 1951. The three political parties are all moderate. The BLP is a party of the centre, but lies to the right of the DLP in the political spectrum. The parties have no major ideological differences: electoral contests and political disputes often have personal overtones. The legal system is based on Common Law.
Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the Governor-General Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands GCMG KA
Prime Minister: The Hon. David J.H. Thompson, MP
Foreign Minister: Senator Maxine McClean
Membership of international groupings/organisations: Barbados' memberships include: The Commonwealth, CARICOM, Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP), UN, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), UNESCO, Organisation of American States (OAS), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), IMF, WHO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

DID YOU KNOW?

The grapefruit originates from Barbados.

HEALTH

Life expectancy (2005 est.): 76.6 years (men: 73.6 years, women: 79.3 years)
Infant mortality (2005 est.): 11 per 1,000 life births

People living with HIV/AIDS (2005): 2700 (UNAIDS)

Adult HIV prevalence (% 2005): 1.5 (UNAIDS)

HIV/AIDS

Levels of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean are second only to those of southern Africa. In Barbados. AIDS is now the second biggest killer in the 20 to 45 year age group and most of them are heterosexual cases.