Barbados

Location

• Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
• easternmost Caribbean island

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Bridgetown	98,511	Capital

Size

• 166 square miles
• 431 square kilometers
• 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

History

Barbados was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Enslaved Africans worked the sugar plantations established on the island, which initially dominated the Caribbean sugar industry. By 1720, Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834. The Barbadian 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 independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados became a republic in 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president.

Climate

tropical; rainy season (June to October)

Terrain

relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region

Languages

English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)

Religions

Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.)

Government

parliamentary republic; a Commonwealth realm

• Constitution: history: adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966; Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 establishes Barbados as a republic and revokes the earlier Order in Councilamendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the organization and authorities of the branches of government requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament; passage of other amendments only requires a majority vote of both houses
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Sandra MASON (since 30 November 2021)head of government: Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018)cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime ministerelection/appointment process: president elected by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament for a 4-year renewable term; following legislative elections, the president usually appoints the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition as prime minister; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime ministermost recent election date: 20 October 2021election results: Sandra MASON elected as first president on 20 October 2021expected date of next election: by January 2027
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the High Court chief justice and president of the court and 4 justices; Caribbean Court of Justice is the final court of appealjudge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 5-member independent body consisting of the Supreme Court chief justice, the commission head, and presidential appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 65subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parlement de Barbade (Parliament of Barbados)legislative structure: bicameralnote: tradition dictates that the next election is held within 5 years of the last election, but constitutionally it is 5 years from the first seating of Parliament plus a 90-day grace period

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income Eastern Caribbean economy; high standard of living among regional peers; key tourism, construction, and financial sectors driving recent GDP growth; declining but still very high public debt leading to IMF support programs; susceptible to natural disasters and reliance on import partners
• Budget: revenues: $1.269 billion (2015 est.)expenditures: $1.664 billion (2015 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas
• Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
• Agricultural Products: sugarcane, chicken, vegetables, milk, eggs, sweet potatoes, pork, coconuts, tropical fruits, pulses (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 23.3% (2022 est.)arable land: 16.3% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 2.3% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 4.7% (2022 est.)forest: 14.7% (2022 est.)other: 62.1% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, plastic products, ships (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: USA 32%, Trinidad & Tobago 19%, Netherlands 6%, UK 6%, Guyana 5% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: liquor, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, margarine, baked goods (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 22%, Jamaica 17%, Trinidad & Tobago 8%, Canada 6%, Guyana 6% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports