50.4 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 24
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate for a modern country; introducing
digital systems; trunk systems include VHF and UHF microwave radio
relay links, and some fiber-optic cable in cities
domestic: fixed-line teledensity remains only about 1 per 100
persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership has been
increasing rapidly and now exceeds 30 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 880; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4
fiber-optic submarine cable system that provides links to Europe,
the Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 6;
international radiotelephone communications and landline service to
neighboring countries (2009)
Broadcast media:
state-owned broadcaster (BTV) operates 1 terrestrial TV station, 3
radio networks, and about 10 local stations; 8 private satellite TV
stations and 3 private radio stations also broadcasting; foreign
satellite TV stations are gaining audience share in the large
cities; several international radio broadcasters are available (2007)
Internet country code:
.bd
Internet hosts:
68,224 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 81
Internet users:
617,300 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 112
Transportation ::Bangladesh
Airports:
17 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 140
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 4 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 2,597 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,768 km
country comparison to the world: 61
broad gauge: 946 km 1.676-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,822 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 239,226 km
country comparison to the world: 21
paved: 22,726 km
unpaved: 216,500 km (2003)
Waterways:
8,370 km
country comparison to the world: 17
note: includes up to 3,060 km main cargo routes; network reduced to
5,200 km in dry season (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 50
country comparison to the world: 70
by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 25, container 5, petroleum tanker 4
foreign-owned: 4 (China 1, Singapore 3)
registered in other countries: 9 (Comoros 1, Malta 1, Panama 3,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 2)
(2010)
Ports and terminals:
Chittagong, Mongla Port
Transportation - note:
the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial waters of
Bangladesh as high risk for armed robbery against ships; numerous
commercial vessels have been attacked both at anchor and while
underway; crews have been robbed and stores or cargoes stolen
Military ::Bangladesh
Military branches:
Bangladesh Defense Force: Bangladesh Army (Sena Bahini), Bangladesh
Navy (Noh Bahini, BN), Bangladesh Air Force (Biman Bahini, BAF)
(2010)
Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary enlisted military service (Air Force);
17 years of age (Army and Navy); conscription is by law possible in
times of emergency, but has never been implemented (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 36,560,110 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 25,310,750
females age 16-49: 32,154,153 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,550,385
female: 1,676,137 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.3% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 112
Transnational Issues ::Bangladesh
Disputes - international:
discussions with India remain stalled to delimit a small section of
river boundary, exchange territory for 51 small Bangladeshi exclaves
in India and 111 small Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, allocate
divided villages, and stop illegal cross-border trade, migration,
violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border;
Bangladesh protests India's fencing and walling off high-traffic
sections of the porous boundary; a joint Bangladesh-India boundary
commission resurveyed and reconstructed 92 missing pillars in 2007;
after 21 years, Bangladesh in January 2008 resumed talks with Burma
on delimiting a maritime boundary
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 26,268 (Burma)
IDPs: 65,000 (land conflicts, religious persecution) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Bangladesh is a source and transit country for
men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor
and commercial sexual exploitation; a significant share of
Bangladesh's trafficking victims are men recruited for work overseas
with fraudulent employment offers who are subsequently exploited
under conditions of forced labor or debt bondage; children are
trafficked within Bangladesh for commercial sexual exploitation,
bonded labor, and forced labor; women and children from Bangladesh
are also trafficked to India and Pakistan for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Bangladesh is placed on Tier 2 Watch List because it
does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination
of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so,
including some progress in addressing sex trafficking; the
government did not demonstrate sufficient progress in criminally
prosecuting and convicting labor trafficking offenders, particularly
those responsible for the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers for the
purpose of labor trafficking (2009)
Illicit drugs:
transit country for illegal drugs produced in neighboring countries
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Barbados (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Barbados
Background:
The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in
1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island
until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The 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.
Geography ::Barbados
Location:
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
13 10 N, 59 32 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 430 sq km
country comparison to the world: 200
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
97 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 37.21%
permanent crops: 2.33%
other: 60.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:
50 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.09 cu km/yr (33%/44%/22%)
per capita: 333 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Environment - current issues:
pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil
erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of
aquifers
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
easternmost Caribbean island
People ::Barbados
Population:
285,653 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 27,383/female 27,352)
15-64 years: 71.3% (male 99,829/female 103,049)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 10,464/female 16,512) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 36.2 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 37.2 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.374% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Birth rate:
12.43 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Death rate:
8.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Net migration rate:
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Urbanization:
urban population: 40% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.012 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.09 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 138
male: 13.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.14 years
country comparison to the world: 101
male: 71.88 years
female: 76.42 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.68 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic groups:
black 93%, white 3.2%, mixed 2.6%, East Indian 1%, other 0.2% (2000
census)
Religions:
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%,
other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%,
none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Languages:
English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.7% (2002 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
6.7% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 26
Government ::Barbados
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Barbados
Government type:
parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
name: Bridgetown
geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew,
Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy,
Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas
Independence:
30 November 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution:
30 November 1966
Legal system:
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
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 Fruendel STUART (since 23 October
2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy 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 seats; members
appointed by the governor general - 12 on the advice of the Prime
Minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at his
discretion) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected
by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held on 15 January 2008 (next to
be called in 2012)
election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - DLP
52.5%, BLP 47.3%; seats by party - DLP 20, BLP 10
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature consists of a High Court and a Court of
Appeal (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the
Judicial and Legal Services); Caribbean Court of Justice or CCJ is
the highest court of appeal; based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and
Tobago
Political parties and leaders:
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or
DLP [Freundel STUART]; People's Empowerment Party or PEP [David
COMISSIONG]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union or BSTU [Patrick FROST]; Barbados
Union of Teachers or BUT [Herbert GITTENS]; Congress of Trade Unions
and Staff Associations of Barbados or CTUSAB, (includes the BWU,
NUPW, BUT, and BSTU) [Leroy TROTMAN]; Barbados Workers Union or BWU
[Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMISSIONG];
National Union of Public Workers [Joseph GODDARD]
International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John BEALE
chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200
FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
consulate(s): Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires D. Brent
HARDT
embassy: U.S. Embassy, Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael BB
14006
mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown BB 11000; CMR 1014, APO
AA 34055
telephone: [1] (246) 227-4399
FAX: [1] (246) 431-0179
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with
the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the band
colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the
beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with
the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
National anthem:
name: "The National Anthem of Barbados"
lyrics/music: Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS
note: adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as "In Plenty and In
Time of Need"
Economy ::Barbados
Economy - overview:
Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane
cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the
economy has diversified into light industry and tourism with about
three-quarters of GDP and 80% of exports being attributed to
services. Growth has rebounded since 2003, bolstered by increases in
construction projects and tourism revenues, reflecting its success
in the higher-end segment, but the sector faced declining revenues
in 2009 with the global economic downturn. The country enjoys one of
the highest per capita incomes in the region. Offshore finance and
information services are important foreign exchange earners and
thrive from having the same time zone as eastern US financial
centers and a relatively highly educated workforce. The government
continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, to encourage direct
foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned
enterprises. The public debt-to-GDP ratio rose to over 100% in 2009,
largely because a sharp slowdown in tourism and financial services
led to a wide budget deficit.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$6.196 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
$6.24 billion (2009 est.)
$6.603 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$3.963 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
-5.5% (2009 est.)
-0.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,700 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
$21,900 (2009 est.)
$23,300 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 16%
services: 78% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
175,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 15%
services: 75% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10.7% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Public debt:
NA (2009)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.5% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Central bank discount rate:
7% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 45
10% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
9.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
10.03% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$1.793 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 123
$1.748 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$4.563 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 124
$4.618 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$4.554 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
$4.124 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 81
$4.964 billion (31 December 2008)
$5.599 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Industries:
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Industrial production growth rate:
-3.2% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
Electricity - production:
1.003 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Electricity - consumption:
939.9 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
765 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Oil - consumption:
9,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Oil - exports:
1,750 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Oil - imports:
10,390 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Oil - proved reserves:
1.79 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - production:
29.17 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Natural gas - consumption:
29.17 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Natural gas - proved reserves:
113.3 million cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
Current account balance:
-$254 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Exports:
$385 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 172
Exports - commodities:
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages,
chemicals, electrical components
Exports - partners:
Trinidad and Tobago 17.48%, Jamaica 15.63%, US 8.93%, Saint Lucia
8.13%, UK 5.36%, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5.04%, Antigua and
Barbuda 4.12% (2009)
Imports:
$1.586 billion (2006)
country comparison to the world: 159
Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials,
chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports - partners:
Trinidad and Tobago 28.52%, US 27.96%, Colombia 7.13%, China 4.76%,
UK 4.39% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$620 million (2007)
country comparison to the world: 117
Debt - external:
$668 million (2003)
country comparison to the world: 155
Exchange rates:
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2
(2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Communications ::Barbados
Telephones - main lines in use:
135,700 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 136
Telephones - mobile cellular:
337,100 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 168
Telephone system:
general assessment: island-wide automatic telephone system
domestic: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 50 per 100 persons;
mobile-cellular telephone density approaching 125 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-246; landing point for the East
Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other
islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin
Islands to Trinidad; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat
-Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
(2009)
Broadcast media:
government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates
the lone terrestrial television station; CBC also operates a
multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen radio
stations, consisting of a CBC-operated network alongside
privately-owned radio stations, in operation (2007)
Internet country code:
.bb
Internet hosts:
1,508 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 159
Internet users:
188,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 143
Transportation ::Barbados
Airports:
1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 233
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 1,600 km
country comparison to the world: 176
paved: 1,600 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 95
country comparison to the world: 52
by type: bulk carrier 19, cargo 55, chemical tanker 9, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 5, roll
on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 89 (Canada 13, Greece 14, Iran 4, Lebanon 2, Norway
41, Sweden 6, Syria 1, Turkey 1, UK 7)
registered in other countries: 1 (unknown 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Bridgetown
Military ::Barbados
Military branches:
Royal Barbados Defense Force: Troops Command, Barbados Coast Guard
(2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (younger volunteers
require parental consent); no conscription (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 74,418
females age 16-49: 74,450 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 58,532
females age 16-49: 58,542 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,897
female: 1,884 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.8% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 151
Military - note:
the Royal Barbados Defense Force includes a land-based Troop Command
and a small Coast Guard; the primary role of the land element is to
defend the island against external aggression; the Command consists
of a single, part-time battalion with a small regular cadre that is
deployed throughout the island; it increasingly supports the police
in patrolling the coastline to prevent smuggling and other illicit
activities (2007)
Transnational Issues ::Barbados
Disputes - international:
Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent
Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and
limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive
economic zone; joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's
claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under
the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits
Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion
of the eastern Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for
Europe and the US; offshore financial center
page last updated on January 11, 2011