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 city of Bridgetown may be given parish status.
Population:
275,330 (July 2001 est.)
Currency:
Barbadian dollar (BBD)
Languages:
English
Elevation:
highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural hazards:
infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Agricultural:
sugarcane, vegetables, cotton.
Economy:
Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996-2000. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. Growth should remain steady in 2001, with new tourist facilities a plus factor.
Industry:
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Ethnicgroups:
black 80%, white 4%, other 16%
Yellow fever:
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
