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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Barbados (2003)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Barbados (2003)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Barbados (2003)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryBarbados
Administrative divisions - 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
Age structure - 0-14 years: 21.2% (male 29,621; female 29,207)


15-64 years: 70% (male 94,840; female 99,230)


65 years and over: 8.8% (male 9,355; female 15,011) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products - sugarcane, vegetables, cotton
Airports 1 (2001) 1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 431 sq km


land: 431 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island until 1834 when slavery was abolished. The economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. The gradual introduction of social and political reforms in the 1940s and 1950s led to complete independence from the UK in 1966. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance.
Birth rate - 13.15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget - revenues: $847 million (including grants)


expenditures: $886 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital - Bridgetown
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Coastline 698 km 97 km
Constitution - 30 November 1966
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Barbados
Currency - Barbadian dollar (BBD)
Death rate - 9.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external - $692 million (2002)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Earl N. PHILLIPS, Jr.


embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown; (courier) ALICO Building-Cheapside, Bridgetown


mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055


telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950


FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246, 429-3379
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Michael Ian KING


chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 339-9201


FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467


consulate(s) general: Miami and New York


consulate(s): Los Angeles
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain none
Economic aid - recipient - $9.1 million (1995)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. 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, to encourage direct foreign investment, and to privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. The economy contracted in 2002 mainly due to a 3% decline in tourism. Growth should be positive in 2003, the precise level largely dependent on economic conditions in the US and Europe.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 725.4 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 780 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m
Environment - current issues NA pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers
Environment - international agreements - party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity
Ethnic groups - black 90%, white 4%, Asian and mixed 6%
Exchange rates - Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2 (2002), 2 (2001), 2 (2000), 2 (1999), 2 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996)


head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 26 May 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Exports - NA (2001)
Exports - commodities - sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
Exports - partners - US 14.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 12%, UK 10.6%, Jamaica 6.2%, Saint Lucia 4.7% (2002)
Fiscal year - 1 April - 31 March
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.153 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 6%


industry: 16%


services: 78% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - -2.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 13 10 N, 59 32 W
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility easternmost Caribbean island
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total: 1,793 km


paved: 1,719 km


unpaved: 74 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US; offshore financial center
Imports - NA (2001)
Imports - commodities - consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components
Imports - partners - US 41.1%, Trinidad and Tobago 17%, UK 7.3%, Japan 4.2% (2002)
Independence - 30 November 1966 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate - -3.2% (2000 est.)
Industries - tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Infant mortality rate - total: 12.72 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 14.39 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 11.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - -0.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 19 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services)
Labor force - 128,500 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 37.21%


permanent crops: 2.33%


other: 60.46% (1998 est.)
Languages - English
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
Legislative branch - bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (30 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Assembly - last held 21 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2008)


election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 23, DLP 7
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 71.84 years


male: 69.56 years


female: 74.14 years (2003 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 97.4%


male: 98%


female: 96.8% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Map references Political Map of the World Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 34 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 284,222 GRT/439,810 DWT


ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 22, combination bulk 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 2


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, The Bahamas 1, Canada 4, Germany 1, Greece 2, Hong Kong 7, Norway 7, UK 18 (2002 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Royal Barbados Defense Force (including Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 77,862 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 53,282 (2003 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Nationality - noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)


adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Natural hazards NA infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane petroleum, fish, natural gas
Net migration rate - -0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Clyde Mascoll]
Political pressure groups and leaders - Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE]
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
277,264 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 0.38% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios NA -
Railways - 0 km
Religions - Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: NA


domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system


international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia
Telephones - main lines in use NA 108,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 8,013 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Total fertility rate - 1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate - 10% (2001 est.)
Waterways none none
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