barbados

Barbados Barbados is a small country located in the Caribbean Sea.
The capital is Bridgetown with a population of about 8,789. Thehead of
state of Barbados is Queen Elizabeth II and she isrepresented by
General Dame Nita Barrow. The total population ofthe country is around
252,000. The main language is English andthe predominant religion is
Christianity. Their date ofindependence was November 30, 1966.
Barbados is the eastern most Caribbean Island. It is about200 miles
North-North East of Trinidad and about 100 miles East-South East of St.
Lucia. It is the second smallest country inthe Western Hemisphere. The
major urban centers in the areainclude Bridgetown, Speightstown,
Oistins, and Holetown. Theland is mainly flat except for a series of ridges
that rise up toabout 1,000 feet and then falling towards the sea. The
climate of the region consists of tropical temperaturesinfluenced by the
Northeast trade winds. The average annualtemperature is approximately
77 degrees Fahrenheit. The dailytemperatures rarely get above 90
degrees Fahrenheit. The dryseason is cool, while the wet season is
slightly warmer. Themain rains come during the months of July, August,
September,October, and November. The annual average rainfall is 40
inchesin the coastal areas and 90 inches in the central areas. The net
migration into Barbados is 4.82 per 1000. Theannual growth rate is
0.4%, which is one of the lowest in theworld. The annual birthrate is
15.45 per 1000, and the annualdeathrate is 8.27 per 1000. Barbados
ranks fourth in the Worldin population density with the overall density
being 1526 persquare mile. The whole island is inhabited, leaving no
sparselypopulated areas. The main race is Negro, which is about 92%
ofthe population. The remainder of the population is consists ofWhites
(3.8%), Mulattoes (3.8%), and East Indians (0.4%). About70% of the
population is Anglican. The other 30% belong tovarious denominations
such as Moravian, Methodist, and RomanCatholic. Barbados was
once under British control from 1624. ItsHouse of Assembly, which
began in 1639, is the third oldestlegislative body in the Western

Hemisphere. By the time Britainleft in 1966, the island was completely
English in culture. TheBritish influence is still seen today in quaint pubs,
cricketgames on the village greens, and in the common law.
Barbados' government is British Parliament. The queen isthe head of
state and she is represented by the governor general. The governor
general appoints an advisory council. The executiveauthority is the Prime
Minister who is Owen Seymour Arthur whichcame into power on
September 6, 1994. The Deputy Prime Ministeris Billie Miller who also
came into power on September 6, 1994. The democratic government
works well in the country. They havehad three general elections and one
smooth transfer of power fromthe Democratic Labor Party to the
Barbados Labor Party. Barbadoscarries on trade with other Caribbean
nations and does havediplomatic relations with Cuba. Their closest
relations are withthe United Stated, and the United Kingdom. Barbados
joined theUnited Nations is 1966. The economy of Barbados is one of
the 35 upper middle-incomecountries of the world. They have a
free-market economy, but thedominant sector is private. Their economy
is based on sugar andtourism, but the government has encouraged a
policy ofdiversification in order to achieve a more stable nation. Theyalso
depend on a light manufacturing industry. Their monetaryunit is the
Barbados dollar. The coins are made in 1, 5, 10, and25 cents. The
paper money is made in 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100dollar bills. One U.S. dollar
is equal to 2.01 Barbados dollar(1975). About 60% of the land is
cropland. The agriculture industryemploys 7.4% of the labor force and
contributes about 8.7% to theGross Domestic Product. Sugarcane
makes up over half theacreage. Bananas are also grown, but only on a
limited scale. Sea island cotton is also grown. All of the farmers are
requiredby regulations to plant at least 12% of their arable land withsome
food crop. Barbados' natural resources include petroleum, fishing,
andnatural gas. The fishing industry employs about 2,500 people and500

small boats. Their are no natural forests in the country. Manufacturing
contributes about 11.2% to the GDP. Manufacturingand mining employ
about 18.9% of the labor force. The majorityof the industrial
establishments are engaged in some form ofsugar processing. Sugar is
the principal export. The principalimports include machinery, motor
vehicles, lumber, and fuels. Barbados' per capita income of $9,200
makes it one of the higheststandards of living of all the small island states
of the EasternCaribbean. Barbados is also one of the many
transshipment pointsfor narcotics bound for the U.S. and Europe.
Some of the current issues in the country consist of thepollution of coastal
waters from the waste disposal ships, soilerosion, and illegal solid waste
disposal that threatenscontamination of aquifers. Barbados is also
plagued with naturaldisasters such as hurricanes and landslides. Their
hurricaneseason is between the months of June and October, which is
thesame season as the U.S.
SourcesThe World Factbook 1995. Central Intelligence Agency. 1995.
The World in Figures. Showers, Victor. 1973. Library of
Congress.Encyclopedia of the Third World. Kurian, George Thomas.
1987. Library of Congress. World Christian Encyclopedia: A
comparative Study of Churches and the Religions in the Modern World,
AD 1900-2000.Caribbean Week. "Barbados." Internet.