1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
111,396 km2; 1% cultivated, 29% forested, 70% built on, wasteland, and other WATER
Coastline
3,542 km (New Providence Island, 76 km)
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm (fishing 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
80% Negro, 10% white, 10% mixed
Labor force
101,000 (1979), 25% organized; 19% unemployment (1979)
Language
English
Nationality
noun—Bahamian(s); adjective—Bahamian
Population
237,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.8%
Religion
Baptists 29%, Church of England 23%, Roman Catholic 23%, smaller groups of other Protestant, Greek Orthodox, and Jews
Government
Branches
bicameral legislature (appointed Senate, elected House); executive (Prime Minister and Cabinet); judiciary
Capital
Nassau (New Providence Island)
Communists
none known
Elections
House of Assembly (19 July 1977); next election due constitutionally in five years Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), predominantly black, Lynden O. Pindling; Bahamian Democratic Party (BDP), Henry Bostwick; Free National Movement (FNM), Cecil Wallace-Whitfield; Social Democratic Party (SDP), Norman Solomon Voting strength (1977 election): PLP (55%) 30 seats, BDP (27%) 6 seats, FNM (15%) 2 seats, others (3%) seats
Government leaders
Prime Minister Lynden O. PINDLING; Governor General Gerald C. CASH
Legal system
based on English law
Member of
CDB, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ITU, UN, UPO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 10 July
Official name
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Suffrage
universal over age 18; registered voters (July 1977) 73,309
Type
independent commonwealth since July 1973, recognizing Elizabeth II as Chief of State
Economy
Agriculture
food importer, main crops—fish, fruits, vegetables Major industries: tourism, cement, oil refining, lumber, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral weld, and steel pipe
Aid
economic—bilateral commitments including Ex-Im (1970-80) from US, $34.3 million; from other Western countries (1970-79), $137.7 million; no military aid
Budget
(1979 actual) revenues, $208 million; expenditures, $216 million
Electric power
320,000 kW capacity (1981); 650 million kWh produced (1981), 3,307 kWh per capita
Exports (nonoil)
$194 million (f.o.b., 1979); pharmaceuticals, cement, rum
Fiscal year
calendar year
GNP
$1,083 million (1979), $4,650 per capita; real growth rate 3-4% (1980)
Imports (nonoil)
$364 million (f.o.b., 1979); foodstuffs, manufactured goods
Major trade partners
nonoil exports—US 41%, UK 12%, Canada 3%; nonoil imports—US 73%, UK 13%, Canada 2% (1973)
Monetary conversion rate
1 Bahamian dollar=US$1
Communications
Airfields
55 total, 51 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
8 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased in
Highways
3,350 km total; 1,350 km paved, 2,000 km gravel
Ports
2 major (Freeport, Nassau), 9 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
telecom facilities highly developed, including 62,000 telephones (28 per 100 popl.) in totally automatic system; tropospheric scatter link with Florida; 3 AM stations, 2 FM stations and 1 TV station; 3 coaxial submarine cables