1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 13,940 km2 land area: 10,070 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut
Climate
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Coastline
3,542 km
Environment
subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood damage
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 32% other: 67%
Location
in the western North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northwest of Cuba
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural resources
salt, aragonite, timber
Note
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
Terrain
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
People and Society
Bahamian(s) adjective
Bahamian
Birth rate
18.97 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.15 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
black 85%, white 15%
Infant mortality rate
31.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
127,400 by occupation: government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1989)
Languages
English, Creole, among Haitian immigrants
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.02 years male: 68.19 years female: 75.96 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963) total population: 90% male: 90% female: 89%
Nationality
noun:
Net migration rate
2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
268,726 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.62% (1993 est.)
Religions
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Total fertility rate
1.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Nassau
Chief of State
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992)
Constitution
10 July 1973
Digraph
BF
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 319-2660 consulates general: Miami and New York
Executive branch
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
FAX
(809) 328-7838
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
Head of Government
Prime Minister Hubert INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992)
House of Assembly
last held 19 August 1992 (next to be held by August 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) FNM 32, PLP 17
Independence
10 July 1973 (from UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on English common law
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of an appointed upper house or Senate and a directly elected lower house or House of Assembly
Member of
ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas
National holiday
National Day, 10 July (1973)
Other political or pressure groups
Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party headed by Lionel CAREY; Trade Union Congress (TUC), headed by Arlington MILLER
Political parties and leaders
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM; Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNPS), Lionel CAREY, chairman; People's Democratic Force (PDF), Fred MITCHELL
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
commonwealth
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Chic HECHT embassy: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau telephone: (809) 322-1181 or 328-2206
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products-citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food
Budget
revenues $627.5 million; expenditures $727.5 million, including capital expenditures of $100 million (1992 est.)
Currency
1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1.0 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million
Electricity
424,000 kW capacity; 929 million kWh produced, 3,599 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1-1.00 (fixed rate)
Exports
$306 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish partners: US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%
External debt
$1.2 billion (December 1990)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine
Imports
$1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels, crude oil partners: US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%
Industrial production
growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP
Industries
tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.2% (1991)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.6 billion (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$10,200 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
3% (1991)
Overview
The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income, developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, per capita GDP is one of the highest in the region.
Unemployment rate
16% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 60 usable: 55 with permanent-surface runways: 31 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3, 659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 26
Highways
2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel
Merchant marine
853 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,136,078 GRT/33,119,750 DWT; includes 53 passenger, 18 short-sea passenger, 159 cargo, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48 container, 6 vehicle carrier, 181 oil tanker, 14 liquefied gas, 22 combination ore/oil, 43 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 159 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 102 refrigerated cargo; note-a flag of convenience registry
Ports
Freeport, Nassau
Telecommunications
highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; broadcast stations-3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion-$65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 68,020; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)