A state on the island of the same name in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, between North and South America. Area - 431 km². Capital - Bridgetown (8 thousand, over 92 thousand with suburbs). Administrative division - 11 districts. Population - 279 thousand (2005, estimate); 90% - Black, 10% - descendants from Europe and Asia. Official language - English. Religion: the majority of believers are Protestants (Anglicans). Currency - Barbadian dollar = 100 cents.
Diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation were established on January 29, 1993.
National holiday - November 30 - Independence Day (1966).
Barbados is an independent state, part of the Commonwealth headed by the United Kingdom. According to the constitution of 1966, the head of state is the Queen of the United Kingdom, represented on the island by a Governor-General (since June 1, 1996, K. S. Hazzard). Legislative power belongs to the parliament (term - 5 years), consisting of a Senate (21 appointed senators) and a House of Assembly (30 members). The House of Assembly is elected by universal suffrage. Executive power is exercised by the government headed by the Prime Minister (since late 1994 - O. Arthur, leader of the BLP).
Political parties: Barbados Labour Party (BLP) - founded in 1938, ruling since 1994, of moderate social-reformist orientation, reflects the interests of the small and medium national bourgeoisie, intelligentsia; part of the Socialist International. It has 23 seats in the House of Assembly. Democratic Labour Party (DLP) - a center-left political organization, created in 1955 as a result of a split from the Barbados Labour Party; enjoys support from some workers and farmers. It has 7 seats in the House of Assembly. Leader - K. Mascoll. National Democratic Party (NDP) - emerged in 1989 as a result of a split from the DLP. Leader - R. Haynes. There are also smaller parties - the People's Political Alliance and the Barbados Workers' Party, advocating for an independent foreign policy and democratization of domestic political life.
Trade union - Barbados Workers' Union, part of the ICFTU.
The Spanish arrived in Barbados in 1518. In 1624-25, the English established their colony on the island (officially a British possession since 1652). Unlike many other island territories in the West Indies, Barbados did not change its state affiliation. The English created plantations on the island for growing tobacco, cotton, and sugar cane, using the labor of enslaved Blacks (slavery was abolished in 1838). From 1958 to 1962, the island was part of the West Indies Federation. In 1961, Barbados received the status of "associated with the United Kingdom." Independence was proclaimed on November 30, 1966.
Barbados is a member of the UN (since 1966), OAS (since 1967), Caribbean Community, LAOS (since 1975), and other regional organizations, and has observer status in the Non-Aligned Movement.
GDP volume - 2.1 billion USD. The economy is primarily based on tourism (over 550 thousand tourists in 2004) and agriculture, mainly specializing in sugar cane cultivation. Corn, tropical fruits, vegetables, and cotton are also grown. Livestock and fishing are well developed. A significant portion of food products is imported. Industry is represented by enterprises in light and food industries, sugar cane processing, oil, and electronic equipment production. Oil, natural gas, and limestone are extracted. In recent years, insurance and offshore financial services have been successfully developing. The assets of offshore banks exceed 7 billion USD. The government of O. Arthur advocates for strengthening market mechanisms in the economy, modernizing the tax system, and supporting small entrepreneurship.
Per capita income - 7,600 USD. Unemployment - 9.9% (2004). Consumer price growth in 2004 - 0.8%. Literacy rate - 97%.
The length of paved roads is about 1,600 km. Bridgetown has an international airport.
Barbados is home to a branch of the largest university in the Caribbean, the University of the West Indies. There are 7 radio stations and 1 television company. Caribbean News Agency - "Caribbean News Agency" (CANA). Major newspapers: "Sunday Sun" and "Caribbean Week."
