dian dollar (BBD)

Currency code: BBD

Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate
pegged to the US dollar)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Barbados Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 108,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 8,013 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA

domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system

international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 237,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus two cable channels) (1997)

Televisions: 76,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .bb

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 19 (2000)

Internet users: 6,000 (2000)

Barbados Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 1,600 km

paved: 1,578 km

unpaved: 22 km (1998)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)

Merchant marine: total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
671,545 GRT/1,125,635 DWT

ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 28, combination bulk 1, container 2,
petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1

note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag
of convenience: Canada 2, Hong Kong 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Barbados Military

Military branches: Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes Ground
Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 78,069 (2001
est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49:
53,576 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Barbados Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: one of many Caribbean transshipment points for
narcotics bound for Europe and the US

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@Bassas da India

Bassas da India Introduction

Background: This atoll is a volcanic rock surrounded by reefs and is
awash at high tide. A French possession since 1897, it was placed
under the administration of a commissioner residing in Reunion in
1968.

Bassas da India Geography

Location: Southern Africa, islands in the so