; agriculture 8%; utilities 2% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
32% of labor force

:Barbados Government

Long-form name:
none
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 - there may be a new city of Bridgetown
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)
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)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP),
Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
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
Other political or pressure groups:
Industrial and General Workers Union, Sir Frank WALCOTT; People's
Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George
BELLE
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:
Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER; Chancery at 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-9200 through 9202; there is a Barbadian
Consulate General in New York and a Consulate in Los Angeles
US:
Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES; Embassy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown (mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Box B,
FPO AA 34054); telephone (809) 436-4950 through