Legend:  Definition
 Field
Listing  Rank
Order
|
Background:
|
Arawak 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 its
territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. |
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of Florida, northeast of Cuba |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
24 15 N, 76 00 W |
|
Map references:
|
Central
America and the Caribbean |
|
Area:
|
total: 13,940 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than Connecticut |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
3,542 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
Climate:
|
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
|
Terrain:
|
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 0.6%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 99% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km |
|
Natural hazards:
|
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind
damage |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
coral reef decay; solid waste disposal |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
|
Geography - note:
|
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
of which 30 are inhabited
|
|
Population:
|
297,477
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
2003 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 28.8% (male 42,799; female 42,730)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 95,718; female 98,875)
65 years and over: 5.8% (male 7,092; female 10,263) (2003
est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 27 years
male: 26.2 years
female: 27.7 years (2002) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.77% (2003 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
18.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
8.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 26.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 32.45 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 65.71 years
male: 62.3 years
female: 69.18 years (2003 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.25 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
3.5% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
6,200 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
610 (2001 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
|
Religions:
|
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church
of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% |
|
Languages:
|
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
|
Government type:
|
constitutional parliamentary democracy |
|
Capital:
|
Nassau |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
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:
|
10 July 1973 (from UK) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 10 July (1973) |
|
Constitution:
|
10 July 1973 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on English common law |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since
3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May
2002)
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:
|
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed
by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and
the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly
(40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year
terms)
elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM
41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents
4 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal
Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
|
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Robert
M. WITAJEWSKI
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box
N-8197, Nassau; Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington,
DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
|
Flag description:
|
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine,
with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
|
|
Economy - overview:
|
The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily
dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts
for more than 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 the slowdown in
the US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth
in these sectors in 2002. Manufacturing and agriculture together
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, which depends on growth in the US, the source of most of
the visitors. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $4.59 billion (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
0.1% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $15,300 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (1999 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.8% (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
156,000 (1999) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
tourism 50%, other services 40%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1999
est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
6.9% (2001 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $918.5 million
expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures
of $106.7 million (FY 99/00) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, banking, e-commerce, cement, oil refining and transshipment,
salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
|
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
1.56 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
1.451 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA (2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA (2001) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
citrus, vegetables; poultry |
|
Exports:
|
$560.7 million (2002 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables |
|
Exports - partners:
|
US 39.1%, Germany 15.4%, Spain 10.8%, France 7.4%, Poland 4.6%,
Switzerland 4.3% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.86 billion (2002 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral
fuels; food and live animals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
US 20.3%, South Korea 20.1%, Germany 11.5%, Norway 11.5%, Japan
10%, Italy 7.2% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$371.6 million (2001) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$9.8 million (1995) |
|
Currency:
|
Bahamian dollar (BSD) |
|
Currency code:
|
BSD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1
(1999), 1 (1998) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 July - 30 June
|
|
Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 1,090 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 33,065,778 GRT/46,202,085
DWT
ships by type: bulk 150, cargo 223, chemical tanker 45, combination
bulk 12, combination ore/oil 18, container 108, liquefied gas 26,
livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger
102, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, refrigerated cargo
135, roll on/roll off 40, short-sea passenger 17, specialized tanker
2, vehicle carrier 23
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium
18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus
2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany
26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel
3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2,
Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2,
Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore
13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8,
Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab
Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002
est.) |
|
Airports:
|
64 (2002) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 30
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 22 (2002) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2002)
|
This page was last updated on 18 December,
2003
|
