| Bahamas, The |  | Click to enlarge
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In general, information available as of 1 January 2003 was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2003. This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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| Introduction | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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.
| Geography | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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
| People | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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.)
| Government | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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 | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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
| Communications | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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)
Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1997)
Internet country code: | .bs
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 19 (2000)
Internet users: | 16,900 (2002)
| Transportation | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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)
| Military | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
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 GDP: | 0.7% (FY99)
| Transnational Issues | Bahamas, The | Top of Page
Disputes - international: | have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary with the US
Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003