Barbados

Map of Barbados

Country Name	Barbados
Capital	Bridgetown
Independence	30 November 1966 (from the UK)
National Holiday	Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Population	287,733 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)
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.)
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 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
Exports – commodities	Manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Imports - commodities	Consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
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