style="font-size:15px;"> Land use:arable land:
77%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
9%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
14%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil
erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of
aquifers
natural hazards:
subject to hurricanes (especially June to October); periodic
landslides
international agreements:
party to - Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
Note:
easternmost Caribbean island
@Barbados, People
Population:
255,827 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.21% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
15.63 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
8.4 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
−5.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
73.83 years
male:
71.11 years
female:
76.76 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Barbadian(s)
adjective:
Barbadian
Ethnic divisions:
African 80%, European 4%, other 16%
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.)
@Barbados, Government
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)
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 Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990)
head of government:
Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987); Deputy
Prime Minister Philip Marlowe GREAVES (since 2 June 1987)
cabinet:
