barbados

Barbados Barbados is a small country located in the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Bridgetown with a population of about 8,789. Thehead of state of Barbados is Queen Elizabeth II and she isrepresented by General Dame Nita Barrow. The total population ofthe country is around 252,000. The main language is English andthe predominant religion is Christianity. Their date ofindependence was November 30, 1966. Barbados is the eastern most Caribbean Island. It is about200 miles North-North East of Trinidad and about 100 miles East-South East of St. Lucia. It is the second smallest country inthe Western Hemisphere. The major urban centers in the areainclude Bridgetown, Speightstown, Oistins, and Holetown. Theland is mainly flat except for a series of ridges that rise up toabout 1,000 feet and then falling towards the sea. The climate of the region consists of tropical temperaturesinfluenced by the Northeast trade winds. The average annualtemperature is approximately 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The dailytemperatures rarely get above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The dryseason is cool, while the wet season is slightly warmer. Themain rains come during the months of July, August, September,October, and November. The annual average rainfall is 40 inchesin the coastal areas and 90 inches in the central areas. The net migration into Barbados is 4.82 per 1000. Theannual growth rate is 0.4%, which is one of the lowest in theworld. The annual birthrate is 15.45 per 1000, and the annualdeathrate is 8.27 per 1000. Barbados ranks fourth in the Worldin population density with the overall density being 1526 persquare mile. The whole island is inhabited, leaving no sparselypopulated areas. The main race is Negro, which is about 92% ofthe population. The remainder of the population is consists ofWhites (3.8%), Mulattoes (3.8%), and East Indians (0.4%). About70% of the population is Anglican. The other 30% belong tovarious denominations such as Moravian, Methodist, and RomanCatholic. Barbados was once under British control from 1624. ItsHouse of Assembly, which began in 1639, is the third oldestlegislative body in the Western Hemisphere. By the time Britainleft in 1966, the island was completely English in culture. TheBritish influence is still seen today in quaint pubs, cricketgames on the village greens, and in the common law. Barbados' government is British Parliament. The queen isthe head of state and she is represented by the governor general. The governor general appoints an advisory council. The executiveauthority is the Prime Minister who is Owen Seymour Arthur whichcame into power on September 6, 1994. The Deputy Prime Ministeris Billie Miller who also came into power on September 6, 1994. The democratic government works well in the country. They havehad three general elections and one smooth transfer of power fromthe Democratic Labor Party to the Barbados Labor Party. Barbadoscarries on trade with other Caribbean nations and does havediplomatic relations with Cuba. Their closest relations are withthe United Stated, and the United Kingdom. Barbados joined theUnited Nations is 1966. The economy of Barbados is one of the 35 upper middle-incomecountries of the world. They have a free-market economy, but thedominant sector is private. Their economy is based on sugar andtourism, but the government has encouraged a policy ofdiversification in order to achieve a more stable nation. Theyalso depend on a light manufacturing industry. Their monetaryunit is the Barbados dollar. The coins are made in 1, 5, 10, and25 cents. The paper money is made in 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100dollar bills. One U.S. dollar is equal to 2.01 Barbados dollar(1975). About 60% of the land is cropland. The agriculture industryemploys 7.4% of the labor force and contributes about 8.7% to theGross Domestic Product. Sugarcane makes up over half theacreage. Bananas are also grown, but only on a limited scale. Sea island cotton is also grown. All of the farmers are requiredby regulations to plant at least 12% of their arable land withsome food crop. Barbados' natural resources include petroleum, fishing, andnatural gas. The fishing industry employs about 2,500 people and500 small boats. Their are no natural forests in the country. Manufacturing contributes about 11.2% to the GDP. Manufacturingand mining employ about 18.9% of the labor force. The majorityof the industrial establishments are engaged in some form ofsugar processing. Sugar is the principal export. The principalimports include machinery, motor vehicles, lumber, and fuels. Barbados' per capita income of $9,200 makes it one of the higheststandards of living of all the small island states of the EasternCaribbean. Barbados is also one of the many transshipment pointsfor narcotics bound for the U.S. and Europe. Some of the current issues in the country consist of thepollution of coastal waters from the waste disposal ships, soilerosion, and illegal solid waste disposal that threatenscontamination of aquifers. Barbados is also plagued with naturaldisasters such as hurricanes and landslides. Their hurricaneseason is between the months of June and October, which is thesame season as the U.S. SourcesThe World Factbook 1995. Central Intelligence Agency. 1995. The World in Figures. Showers, Victor. 1973. Library of Congress.Encyclopedia of the Third World. Kurian, George Thomas. 1987. Library of Congress. World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative Study of Churches and the Religions in the Modern World, AD 1900-2000.Caribbean Week. "Barbados." Internet. . Barbados Barbados is a small country located in the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Bridgetown with a population of about 8,789. Thehead of state of Barbados. one smooth transfer of power fromthe Democratic Labor Party to the Barbados Labor Party. Barbadoscarries on trade with other Caribbean nations and does havediplomatic