Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/22.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 8.3 KB | 334 lines

@node Geography (Barbados)
@section Geography (Barbados)

@display

Location:
  in the extreme eastern Caribbean Sea, about 375 km northeast of Venezuela
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the
  World
Area:
 total area:
  430 km2
 land area:
  430 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  97 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
  relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Natural resources:
  petroleum, fishing, natural gas
Land use:
 arable land:   77%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  9%
 forest and woodland:
  0%
 other:
  14%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)
Note:
  easternmost Caribbean island



@end display

@node People (Barbados)
@section People (Barbados)

@display

Population:
  255,338 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.18% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  15.78 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  8.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  21.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  73.49 years
 male:
  70.75 years
 female:
  76.46 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.77 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Barbadian(s)
 adjective:
  Barbadian
Ethnic divisions:
  African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%
Religions:
  Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%),
  Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Languages:
  English
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
 total population:   99%
 male:
  99%
 female:
  99%
Labor force:
  120,900 (1991)
 by occupation:
  services and government 37%, commerce 22%, manufacturing and construction
  22%, transportation, storage, communications, and financial institutions 9%,
  agriculture 8%, utilities 2% (1985 est.)



@end display

@node Government (Barbados)
@section Government (Barbados)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Barbados
Digraph:
  BB
Type:
  parliamentary democracy
Capital:
  Bridgetown
Administrative divisions:
  11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint
  John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip,
  Saint Thomas
 note:
  the new city of Bridgetown may be given parish status
Independence:
  30 November 1966 (from UK)
Constitution:
  30 November 1966
Legal system:
  English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP),
  Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
Other political or pressure groups:
  Barbados Workers Union, Leroy TROTMAN; People's Progressive Movement, Eric
  SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George BELLE; Clement Payne Labor
  Union, David COMMISSIONG
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Assembly:
  last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results - DLP
  49.8%; seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
  Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
  or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Judicature
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
  Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)
Member of:
  ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD,
  IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES,
  LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER



@end display

@node Government (Barbados 2. usage)
@section Government (Barbados 2. usage)

@display

 chancery:
  2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone] through 9202
 consulate general:
  New York
 consulate:
  Los Angeles
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES
 embassy:
  Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 302, Box B, FPO AA 34054
 telephone:
  [phone] through 4957
 FAX:
  [phone]
Flag:
  three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and blue with the
  head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head
  represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms
  contained a complete trident)



@end display

@node Economy (Barbados)
@section Economy (Barbados)

@display

Overview:
  A per capita income of $7,000 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of
  living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean.
  Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and
  related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified
  into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer
  of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. The economy
  slowed in 1990-91, however, and Bridgetown's declining hard currency
  reserves and inability to finance its deficits have caused it to adopt an
  austere economic reform program.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion ( 1991)
National product real growth rate:
  -4% (1991)
National product per capita:
  $7,000 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  8.1% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  23% (1992)
Budget:
  revenues $547 million; expenditures $620 million (FY92-93), including
  capital expenditures of $60 million
Exports:
  $205.8 million (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum,
  machinery and transport equipment
 partners:
  CARICOM 31%, US 16%, UK 13%
Imports:
  $697 million (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil,
  construction materials, chemicals
 partners:
  US 34%, CARICOM 16%, UK 11%, Canada 6%
External debt:
  $750 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -1.3% (1991); accounts for 10% of GDP
Electricity:
  152,100 kW capacity; 540 million kWh produced, 2,118 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export,
  petroleum
Agriculture:
  accounts for 8% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops -
  vegetables, cotton; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million
Currency:
  1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Barbados)
@section Communications (Barbados)

@display

Highways:
  1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km gravel and earth
Ports:
  Bridgetown
Merchant marine:
  3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 48,710 GRT79,263 DWT; includes 1 cargo,
  2 oil tanker
Airports:
 total:
  1
 usable:
  1
 with permanent-surface runways:
  1
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric
  scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 2
  (1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Barbados)
@section Defense Forces (Barbados)

@display

Branches:
  Royal Barbados Defense Force, including the Ground Forces and Coast Guard,
  Royal Barbados Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 70,254; fit for military service 49,096 (1993 est.); no
  conscription
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)



@end display