

Topic: Photos of Barbados

Topic: Introduction
Background: The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. African slaves worked the sugar plantations established on the island, which initially dominated the Caribbean sugar industry. By 1720, Barbados was no longer a dominant force within the sugar industry, having been surpassed by the Leeward Islands and Jamaica. Slavery was abolished in 1834. The Barbadian 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. Barbados became a republic on 30 November 2021, with the former Governor-General Sandra MASON elected as the first president. Barbados plans to create a new constitution in 2022.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates: 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: total: 0 km
Coastline: 97 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain: relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Elevation: highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, natural gas
Land use: agricultural land: 32.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 25.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 19.4% (2018 est.)

other: 48% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 50 sq km (2012)
Population distribution: most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas
Natural hazards: infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides
Geography - note: easternmost Caribbean island
Map description: Barbados map showing the island situated in the Caribbean Sea.Barbados map showing the island situated in the Caribbean Sea.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 302,674 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial)

adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial)
Ethnic groups: African descent 92.4%, mixed 3.1%, White 2.7%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.2%, unspecified 0.3% (2010 est.)
Languages: English (official), Bajan (English-based creole language, widely spoken in informal settings)
Religions: Protestant 66.4% (includes Anglican 23.9%, other Pentecostal 19.5%, Adventist 5.9%, Methodist 4.2%, Wesleyan 3.4%, Nazarene 3.2%, Church of God 2.4%, Baptist 1.8%, Moravian 1.2%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 3.8%, other Christian 5.4% (includes Jehovah's Witness 2.0%, other 3.4%), Rastafarian 1%, other 1.5%, none 20.6%, unspecified 1.2% (2010 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.49% (male 25,762/female 25,764)

15-24 years: 12.34% (male 18,024/female 18,330)

25-54 years: 42.69% (male 62,655/female 63,093)

55-64 years: 13.91% (male 19,533/female 21,430)

65 years and over: 13.57% (2020 est.) (male 16,398/female 23,571)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 50.3

youth dependency ratio: 25.2

elderly dependency ratio: 25.1

potential support ratio: 4 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 39.5 years

male: 38.4 years

female: 40.7 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.26% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 10.83 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 7.96 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas
Urbanization: urban population: 31.3% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 89,000 BRIDGETOWN (capital) (2018)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.55 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 27 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 10 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.55 years

male: 75.79 years

female: 81.35 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 59.2% (2012)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 98.8% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 2% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 6.3% (2019)
Physicians density: 2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density: 6 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2019 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 2,700 (2019 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2019 est.) <100
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 23.1% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 8.5% (2020 est.)

male: 15% (2020 est.)

female: 1.9% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.5% (2012)
Education expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2020 est.)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 99.6%

male: 99.6%

female: 99.6% (2014)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 17 years (2011)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 26%

male: 30.3%

female: 21.2% (2019 est.)

Topic: Environment
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 22.24 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 1.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 2.35 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Land use: agricultural land: 32.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 25.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 4.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 19.4% (2018 est.)

other: 48% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 31.3% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 0.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 174,815 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 15,733 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 9% (2015 est.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 20 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 6.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 54.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 80 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Barbados

etymology: the name derives from the Portuguese "as barbadas," which means "the bearded ones" and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island's bearded fig trees or to the alleged beards of the native Carib inhabitants
Government type: parliamentary republic; a Commonwealth realm
Capital: name: Bridgetown

geographic coordinates: 13 06 N, 59 37 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after a bridge constructed over the swampy area (known as the Careenage) around the Constitution River that flows through the center of Bridgetown
Administrative divisions: 11 parishes and 1 city*; Bridgetown*, Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas
Independence: 30 November 1966 (from the UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Constitution: history: adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966; Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 establishes Barbados as a republic and revokes the earlier Order in Council

amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the organization and authorities of the branches of government requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament; passage of other amendments only requires a majority vote of both houses; amended several times, last in 2021

note: following the transition to a republic in November 2021, the Government of Barbados in February 2022 began the process of establishing a constitution commission to review a new draft constitution
Legal system: English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Sandra MASON (since 30 November 2021)

head of government: Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

elections/appointments: the president is elected by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament for a four year renewable term; election last held 20 October 2021; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

election results: Sandra MASON elected as first president on 20 October 2021 to take office on 30 November 2021
Legislative branch: description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (21 seats - 18 for current term; members appointed by the president - 12 on the advice of the prime minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at the discretion of the president) 
House of Assembly (30 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: 
Senate - last appointments on 4 February 2022 (next appointments in February 2027)
House of Assembly - last held on 19 January 2022 (next to be held in January 2027)

election results: 
Senate - appointed; composition as of March 2022- men 10, women 8, percent of women 44.4% 
House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 69%, DLP 26.5%, other 4.5%; seats by party - BLP 30; composition as of March 2022 - men 22, women 8, percent of women 26.7%; note - total Parliament percent of women 33.3%

note: tradition dictates that the election is held within 5 years of the last election, but constitutionally it is 5 years from the first seating of Parliament plus a 90-day grace period
Judicial branch: highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the High Court chief justice and president of the court and 4 justices; note - in 2005, Barbados acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 5-member independent body consisting of the Supreme Court chief justice, the commission head, and presidential appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices serve until mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts
Political parties and leaders: Alliance Party for Progress or APP [Joseph ATHERLEY]
Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]
Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Ronnie YEARWOOD]
International organization participation: ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Noel Anderson LYNCH (since 11 January 2019)

chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200

FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467

email address and website: 
washington@foreign.gov.bb

consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Linda S. TAGLIALATELA (since 1 February 2016) note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

embassy: Wildey Business Park, St. Michael BB 14006, Barbados, W.I.

mailing address: 3120 Bridgetown Place, Washington DC  20521-3120

telephone: (246) 227-4000

FAX: (246) 431-0179

email address and website: 
BridgetownACS@state.gov

https://bb.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of ultramarine blue (hoist side), gold, and ultramarine blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the band colors represent the blue of the sea and sky and the gold of the beaches; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident)
National symbol(s): Neptune's trident, pelican, Red Bird of Paradise flower (also known as Pride of Barbados); national colors: blue, yellow, black
National anthem: name: "The National Anthem of Barbados"

lyrics/music: Irving BURGIE/C. Van Roland EDWARDS

note: adopted 1966; the anthem is also known as "In Plenty and In Time of Need"
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Barbados is the wealthiest and one of the most developed countries in the Eastern Caribbean and enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. Historically, the Barbadian economy was dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities. However, in recent years the economy has diversified into light industry and tourism. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, boosted by being in the same time zone as eastern US financial centers and by a relatively highly educated workforce. Following the 2008-09 recession, external vulnerabilities such as fluctuations in international oil prices have hurt economic growth, raised Barbados' already high public debt to GDP ratio - which stood at 105% of GDP in 2016 - and cut into its international reserves.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.7 billion (2020 est.)

$4.49 billion (2019 est.)

$4.49 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: -0.2% (2017 est.)

2.3% (2016 est.)

2.2% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $12,900 (2020 est.)

$15,600 (2019 est.)

$15,700 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $4.99 billion (2017 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2017 est.)

1.5% (2016 est.)
Credit ratings: Moody's rating: Caa1 (2019)

Standard & Poors rating: B- (2019)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 1.5% (2017 est.)

industry: 9.8% (2017 est.)

services: 88.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 84.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 13.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 17.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 31.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -47% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: sugar cane, poultry, vegetables, milk, eggs, pork, coconuts, pulses, sweet potatoes, tropical fruit
Industries: tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 144,000 (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10%

industry: 15%

services: 75% (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10.1% (2017 est.)

9.9% (2016 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 26%

male: 30.3%

female: 21.2% (2019 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA
Budget: revenues: 1.466 billion (2017 est.) (2013 est.)

expenditures: 1.664 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 157.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

149.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 29.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
Current account balance: -$189 million (2017 est.)

-$206 million (2016 est.)
Exports: $485.4 million (2017 est.)

$516.9 million (2016 est.)
Exports - partners: US 21%, Poland 14%, Jamaica 8%, Guyana 6%,Trinidad and Tobago 6% (2019)
Exports - commodities: rums and other hard liquor, ships, orthopedic appliances, cement, packaged medicines (2019)
Imports: $1.52 billion (2017 est.)

$1.541 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - partners: United States 35%, Trinidad and Tobago 14%, China 9%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, ships, cars, shipping containers, packaged medicines (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $264.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$341.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $4.49 billion (2010 est.)

$668 million (2003 est.)
Exchange rates: Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar -

2 (2017 est.)

2 (2016 est.)

2 (2015 est.)

2 (2014 est.)

2 (2013 est.)

note: the Barbadian dollar is pegged to the US dollar

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 311,000 kW (2020 est.)

consumption: 1 billion kWh (2019 est.)

exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 20 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 95.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar: 4.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal: production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 1,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 10,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports: 700 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 barrels/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 2 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 10,630 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas: production: 14.923 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

consumption: 20.954 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports: 6.031 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves: 113 million cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 1.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 1.662 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 41,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: 83.723 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 128,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 295,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: the telecom sector has seen a decline in subscriber numbers (particularly for prepaid mobile services the mainstay of short term visitors) and revenue; fixed and mobile broadband services are two areas that have benefited from the crisis as employees and students have resorted to working from home; one major casualty may be the region’s second largest telco operator, Digicel; the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in April 2020; it continues to operate in all of its Caribbean markets as it seeks to refinance billions of dollars of debt; the other major telco, regional incumbent Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), is experiencing similar drops in subscriber numbers and revenue; CWC is expanding and enhancing its fixed and mobile networks in many of the countries it serves around the Caribbean, despite many locations being small islands with very small populations; one area of the telecom market that is not prepared for growth is 5G mobile; governments, regulators, and even the mobile network operators have shown that they have not been investing in 5G opportunities at the present time; network expansion and enhancements remain concentrated around improving LTE coverage. (2021)

domestic: fixed-line teledensity of roughly 45 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density about 115 per 100 persons (2019)

international: country code - 1-246; landing points for the ECFS and Southern Caribbean Fiber submarine cable with links to 15 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad and Puerto Ricco; satellite earth stations - 1 (Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia (2019)
Broadcast media: government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) operates the lone terrestrial TV station; CBC also operates a multi-channel cable TV subscription service; roughly a dozen radio stations, consisting of a CBC-operated network operating alongside privately owned radio stations (2019)
Internet country code: .bb
Internet users: total: 235,357 (2019 est.)

percent of population: 82% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 128,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 8P
Airports: total: 1 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1

over 3,047 m: 1 (2021)
Pipelines: 33 km gas, 64 km oil, 6 km refined products (2013)
Roadways: total: 1,700 km (2015)

paved: 1,700 km (2015)
Merchant marine: total: 165

by type: bulk carrier 46, general cargo 103, other 16 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Bridgetown

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Barbados Defense Force: The Barbados Regiment, The Barbados Coast Guard (2022)
Military expenditures: 0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

0.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $35 million)

0.8% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $40 million)

0.8% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $40 million)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 600 active personnel (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the Netherlands provide the BDF's major equipment inventory (maritime patrol boats) (2022)
Military service age and obligation: voluntary service only (men and women); 17 years, 9 months to 17 years, 11 months with letter of consent from a parent or guardian, or be in the age range of 18-25 years at the start of recruit training; citizens of Barbados by descent or naturalization (2022)
Military - note: Barbados has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security; the RSS is headquartered in Barbados (2022)Barbados has been a member of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) since its creation in 1982; RSS signatories (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) agreed to prepare contingency plans and assist one another, on request, in national emergencies, prevention of smuggling, search and rescue, immigration control, fishery protection, customs and excise control, maritime policing duties, protection of off-shore installations, pollution control, national and other disasters, and threats to national security; the RSS is headquartered in Barbados

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Barbados-Venezuela (Maritime Boundary): Barbados joins other Caribbean states and the United Kingdom to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island, a large sandbar with some vegetation, sustains human habitation or economic life, the criteria under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 121, which would permit Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea.  The dispute hampers hydrocarbon prospecting and creation of exploration blocks. 

Barbados-Trinidad and Tobago (Maritime Boundary): Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone.Barbados-Venezuela (Maritime Boundary): Barbados joins other Caribbean states and the United Kingdom to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island, a large sandbar with some vegetation, sustains human habitation or economic life, the criteria under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 121, which would permit Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea.  The dispute hampers hydrocarbon prospecting and creation of exploration blocks. 

Barbados-Trinidad and Tobago (Maritime Boundary): Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago abide by the April 2006 Permanent Court of Arbitration decision delimiting a maritime boundary and limiting catches of flying fish in Trinidad and Tobago's exclusive economic zone.
Trafficking in persons: current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Barbados; foreign women are subject to sex trafficking; children are exploited in sex trafficking by parents and caregivers, according to anecdotal reports; documented and undocumented migrants from Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and Venezuela are at high risk for trafficking, while migrants from other nearby countries are increasingly vulnerable

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Barbados does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government completed an anti-trafficking manual on assisting and interviewing victims, reinstated the anti-trafficking task force, and increased training for law enforcement and child care officials; however, authorities again did not identify any trafficking victims, reported no new prosecutions, and have never convicted anyone of trafficking; the national action plan has yet to be completed (2020)
Illicit drugs: a transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbeana transit point for cocaine and marijuana destined for North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Caribbean