Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: easternmost Caribbean island
People Barbados
Population:
279,254 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 20.6% (male 28,813/female 28,634)
15–64 years: 70.6% (male 96,590/female 100,622)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,432/female 15,163) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 34.15 years
male: 32.99 years
female: 35.28 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.33% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
12.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
−0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.59 years
male: 70.6 years
female: 74.6 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic groups:
black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Religions:
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other
12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Languages:
English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% (2002 est.)
Government Barbados
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Government type:
parliamentary democracy; independent sovereign state within the
Commonwealth
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 city of Bridgetown may
be given parish status
Independence:
30 November 1966 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution:
30 November 1966
Legal system:
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS
(since 1 June 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 7
September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the
prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body
