Bahamas, The
Introduction Bahamas, The
-------------------------
Background: 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.
Geography Bahamas, The
----------------------
Location: Caribbean, chain of islands in the
North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of
Florida
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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
People Bahamas, The
-------------------
Population: 300,529
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 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female
43,250)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508;
female 98,859)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948;
female 11,000) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.86% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 18.69 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.87 years
female: 73.49 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.32 years
Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.13% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 6,900 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 500 (1999 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, Creole (among Haitian
immigrants)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 98.2%
male: 98.5%
female: 98% (1995 est.)
Government Bahamas, The
-----------------------
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; prime
minister and deputy prime minister
appointed by the governor general
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 NA March 2002
(next to be held by March 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
[leader-designate Tommy TURNQUEST];
Progressive Liberal Party or PLP
[Perry CHRISTIE]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC,
participation: FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, 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 chief of mission: Ambassador J.
US: Richard BLANKENSHIP
embassy: Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address: local or express
mail address: P. O. Box N-8197,
Nassau; stateside address: American
Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009,
Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address:
Nassau, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-
2206
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 Bahamas, The
--------------------
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 almost half of
the archipelago's labor force.
Steady growth in tourism receipts
and a boom in construction of new
hotels, resorts, and residences have
led to solid GDP growth in recent
years. 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 the
majority of tourist visitors.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $5 billion
(2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2001)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,800
(2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 156,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: tourism 40%, other services 50%,
industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995
est.)
Unemployment rate: 6.9% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $918.5 million
expenditures: $956.5 million,
including capital expenditures of
$106.7 million (FY99/00)
Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil
refining and transshipment, salt,
rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals,
spiral-welded steel pipe
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - production: 1.54 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 1.432 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: citrus, vegetables; poultry
Exports: $535.8 million (2000)
Exports - commodities: fish and crawfish; rum, salt,
chemicals; fruit and vegetables
(1999)
Exports - partners: US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany
14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000)
Imports: $1.88 billion (2000)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, chemicals, mineral
fuels; food and live animals (1999)
Imports - partners: US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy
17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000)
Debt - external: $381.9 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: $9.8 million (1995)
Currency: Bahamian dollar (BSD)
Currency code: BSD
Exchange rates: Bahamian dollars per US dollar -
1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the
dollar)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Bahamas, The
---------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 96,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 6,152 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: modern
facilities
domestic: totally automatic system;
highly developed
international: tropospheric scatter
and submarine cable to Florida; 3
coaxial submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) (1997)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 215,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 67,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .bs
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 19 (2000)
Internet users: 13,100 (2001)
Transportation Bahamas, The
---------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1997)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau
Merchant marine: total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or
over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/
45,859,485 DWT
ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246,
chemical tanker 41, combination bulk
13, combination ore/oil 22,
container 80, liquefied gas 28,
livestock carrier 2, multi-
functional large-load carrier 8,
passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1,
petroleum tanker 178, railcar
carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120,
roll on/roll off 49, short-sea
passenger 16, specialized tanker 2,
vehicle carrier 22
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: 67 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 32
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 23 (2001)
Heliports: 1 (2001)
Military Bahamas, The
---------------------
Military branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast
Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police
Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $20 million (FY95/96)
Military expenditures - percent of 0.7% (FY99)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Bahamas, The
---------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and
marijuana bound for US and Europe;
banking industry vulnerable to money
laundering
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