Country Name: Barbados

Capital: Bridgetown

Official Visa & Travel Information: Barbados Immigration Department (Visa Services)

Government Type: Parliamentary Republic; a Commonwealth realm.

Background: The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves 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 complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. Barbados became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra Mason elected as the first president. Barbados plans to create a new constitution in 2022.

Region: Caribbean

Population: 303,431 (2023 est.)

Ethnic Groups: African descent 92.4%, mixed 3.1%, White 2.7%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2010 est.)

Languages: English (official) and 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.)

Economic Overview: Largest Eastern Caribbean economy; dependent on US imports and currency strength; high Human Development Index; key tourism and financial sectors; declining but still very high public debt; cost-of-living and cost competitiveness vulnerabilities.

Currency: Barbadian Dollar (BBD)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $1.673 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $3.868 billion (2021 est.); note: data is in 2017 U.S. dollars

Real GDP Growth Rate: -0.19% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per Capita: $13,800 (2021 est.); note: data is in 2017 U.S. dollars

Exports:

• $357 million (2021 est.); note: data is in current year U.S. dollars and does not include illicit exports or re-exports

• Comparison Ranking: 190

Export Commodities: Rums and liquors, ships, packaged medicines, cement, and paper labels (2021)

Export Partners: United States 20%, Jamaica 12%, Guyana 8%, Trinidad and Tobago 7%, Italy 6% (2021)

Imports:

• $2.12 billion (2021 est.)

• Comparison Ranking: 170

Import Commodities: Refined petroleum, crude petroleum, shipping containers, cars, ships, and packaged medicines (2021)

Import Partners: United States 33%, Guyana 13%, China 11%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, United Kingdom 4% (2021)

Natural Resources: Petroleum, fish, and natural gas.

Agricultural Products: Sugar cane, poultry, vegetables, milk, eggs, pork, coconuts, pulses, sweet potatoes, and tropical fruit.

Industries: Tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, and component assembly for export.

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• -0.6% (2021 est.)

• Comparison Ranking: 163

Labor Force: 139,100 (2021 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation: 

• Agriculture: 10%

• Industry: 15%

• Services: 75% (1996 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 10.41% (2021 est.)

Natural Hazards: Infrequent hurricanes and periodic landslides.

Geography:

• Total: 430 sq km

• Land: 430 sq km

• Water: 0 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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