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  Bahamas, The  
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This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


Map of Bahamas, The
Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
   Geography    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
24 15 N, 76 00 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
3,542 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.13% (2005)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
   People    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
305,655
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 27% (male 41,268/female 41,186)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 99,961/female 103,230)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 8,176/female 11,834) (2007 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 28.1 years
male: 27.3 years
female: 28.9 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.602% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.002 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.968 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.691 male(s)/female
total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 24.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 65.66 years
male: 62.37 years
female: 69.02 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5,600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
   Government    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
10 July 1973 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
10 July 1973
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be called by May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; magistrates courts
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 356-3229 (after hours)
FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
   Economy    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$6.925 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$6.449 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$22,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
181,900 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.6% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
9.3% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: 27% (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.4% (2007 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $1.03 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
citrus, vegetables; poultry
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.894 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.762 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
26,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
transshipments of 41,290 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
68,250 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$674 million (2006)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Spain 23.8%, US 21.1%, Poland 14.4%, Germany 7.3%, UK 6.1%, Guatemala 5.2% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.401 billion (2006)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 24.5%, Brazil 15.6%, Japan 13%, South Korea 7.8%, Spain 7.1% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$4.78 million (2004)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$342.6 million (2004 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
Bahamian dollar (BSD)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 July - 30 June
   Communications    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
133,100 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
227,800 (2005)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services
international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 2 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
2 (2006)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.bs
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
248 (2007)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
103,000 (2005)
   Transportation    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
62 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 22 (2007)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2007)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 1,213 ships (1000 GRT or over) 40,403,455 GRT/54,276,183 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 225, cargo 240, chemical tanker 84, combination ore/oil 13, container 72, liquefied gas 49, livestock carrier 2, passenger 117, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 196, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 39
foreign-owned: 1,134 (Angola 6, Australia 3, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 1, Canada 13, China 9, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 20, Denmark 66, Finland 8, France 43, Germany 40, Greece 214, Hong Kong 3, Iceland 1, Indonesia 3, Ireland 2, Italy 1, Japan 62, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 11, Monaco 11, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24, Nigeria 2, Norway 232, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Russia 5, Saudi Arabia 15, Singapore 9, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 11, Sweden 5, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 5, UAE 20, UK 68, US 162, Uruguay 1, Venezuela 1)
registered in other countries: 3 (Barbados 1, Panama 2) (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
   Military    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 73,121 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 44,309 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 2,804 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.5% (2006)
   Transnational Issues    Bahamas, The Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
disagrees with the US on the alignment of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian refugees in Bahamian waters
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 17 January, 2008


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