ordinates: 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:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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

Land use:
arable land: 37%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: 12%
other: 46% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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: Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity

Geography--note: easternmost Caribbean island

People

Population: 259,191 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 30,132; female 29,359)
15-64 years: 67% (male 85,437; female 88,131)
65 years and over: 10% (male 9,862; female 16,270) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 14.46 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.16 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.74 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.98 years
male: 72.22 years
female: 77.81 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Barbadian(s)
adjective: Barbadian

Ethnic groups: black 80%, white 4%, other 16%

Religions: Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%,
Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12%

Languages: English

Liter