ry: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Coral Gables (Florida), Miami, and New York
consulate(s): Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador E. William CROTTY
embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street,
Bridgetown
mailing address: P.O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055

Flag description: 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)

Economy

Economy--overview: Historically, the Barbadian economy had been
dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but
production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and
tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in
Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in
1996-98. Offshore finance and informatics are important foreign
exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector.
The government continues its efforts to reduce the unacceptably high
unemployment rate, encourage direct foreign investment, and
privatize remaining state-owned enterprises.

GDP: purchasing power parity--$2.9 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$11,200 (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 15%
services: 79% (1996)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1997)

Labor force: 136,000 (1998 est.)

Labor force--by occupation: services 75%, industry 15%,
agriculture 10% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $725.5 million
expenditures: $750.6 million, including capital expenditures of
$126.3 million (FY97/98 est.)

Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component
assembly for export

Industrial production growth rate: 0.8% (1996)

Electricity--production: 600 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity--consumption: 600 million kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agricul