The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system

       international: country code - 1–246; 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 hosts:

       204 (2003)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       19 (2000)

      Internet users:

       100,000 (2003)

      Transportation Barbados

      Highways: total: 1,793 km paved: 1,719 km unpaved: 74 km (1999)

      Ports and harbors:

       Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina)

      Merchant marine:

       total: 42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 427,465 GRT/668,195 DWT

       by type: bulk 11, cargo 20, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 3,

       petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1

       registered in other countries: 3 (2004 est.)

       foreign-owned: Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bangladesh 1, Canada 5,

       Greece 7, Hong Kong 7, Italy 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 9, United Kingdom

       10

      Airports:

       1 (2003 est.)

      Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

      Military Barbados

      Military branches:

       Royal Barbados Defense Force (Troops Command and Coast Guard)

      Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; volunteers at earlier age with parental consent; no conscription (2001)

      Military manpower - availability:

       males age 15–49: 77,714 (2004 est.)

      Military manpower - fit for military service:

       males age 15–49: 53,127 (2004 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       NA

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       NA

      Transnational Issues Barbados

      Disputes - international:

       Barbados intends to take its claim before UNCLOS arbitration that

       the northern limit of Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with

       Venezuela extends into its waters; joins other Caribbean states to

       counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human

       habitation, a criterion under UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to

       extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the

       Caribbean Sea

      Illicit drugs:

       one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for

       Europe and the US; offshore financial center

      This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

      ======================================================================

      @Bassas da India

      Introduction Bassas da India

      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.

      Geography Bassas da India

      Location:

       Southern Africa, islands in the southern Mozambique Channel, about

       one-half of the way from Madagascar to Mozambique

      Geographic coordinates:

       21 30 S, 39 50 E

      Map references:

       Africa

      Area:

       total: 0.2 sq km

       water: 0 sq km

       land: 0.2 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       about one-third the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

      Land boundaries:

       0 km

      Coastline:

       35.2 km

      Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

      Climate:

       tropical

      Terrain:

       volcanic rock

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

       highest point: unnamed location 2.4 m

      Natural resources:

       none

      Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all rock) (2001)

      Irrigated land:

       0 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       maritime hazard since it is usually under water during high tide

       and surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones

      Environment - current issues:

       NA

      Geography - note:

       the islands emerge from a circular reef that sits atop a

       long-extinct, submerged volcano

      People Bassas da India

      Population: uninhabited (July 2004 est.)

      Government Bassas da India

      Country name:

       conventional long form: none

       conventional short form: Bassas da India

      Dependency status:

       possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the

       Republic, resident in Reunion

      Legal system:

       the laws of France, where applicable, apply

      Flag description:

       the flag of France is used

      Economy Bassas da India

      Economy - overview: no economic activity

      Transportation Bassas da India

      Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only

      Military Bassas da India

      Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

      Transnational Issues Bassas da India

      Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar

      This