30,909,597; fit for military service 18,348,702 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $355 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92/93)

*Barbados, Geography

Location:
in the extreme eastern Caribbean Sea, about 375 km northeast of Venezuela
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Standard Time Zones of the
World
Area:
total area:
430 km2
land area:
430 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
97 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Natural resources:
petroleum, fishing, natural gas
Land use:
arable land: 77%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
9%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
14%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)
Note:
easternmost Caribbean island

*Barbados, People

Population:
255,338 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.18% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
15.78 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
8.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
21.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
73.49 years
male:
70.75 years
female:
76.46 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.77 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Barbadian(s)
adjective:
Barbadian
Ethnic divisions:
African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%
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:
Bri