1995 Edition

Area

total area: 13,940 sq km land area: 10,070 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline

3,542 km

Environment

current issues: coral reef decay natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 32% other: 67%

Location

Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the 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

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (female 35,924; male 36,504) 15-64 years: 66% (female 87,868; male 82,780) 65 years and over: 6% (female 8,247; male 5,293) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

19.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black 85%, white 15%

Infant mortality rate

24.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force

136,900 (1993) 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: 72.12 years male: 67.37 years female: 76.97 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1963 est.) total population: 90% male: 90% female: 89%

Nationality

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Net migration rate

-2.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

256,616 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

1.09% (1995 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

2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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, Nicholls Town and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay

Capital

Nassau

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: [1] (202) 319-2660

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the governor on the prime minister's recommendation

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

[1] (809) 328-7838

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side

House of Assembly

elections 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

Member of

ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Names

conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas

National holiday

National Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties and leaders

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM;

Senate

a 16-member body appointed by the governor general

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

commonwealth

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau telephone: [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2206

Agriculture

accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products - citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food

Budget

revenues: $696 million expenditures: $756 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Currency

1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million

Electricity

capacity: 424,000 kW production: 929 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,200 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate)

Exports

$257 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products partners: US 51%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5%

External debt

$455 million (December 1993)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; also a money-laundering center

Imports

$1.15 billion (f.o.b,,1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics partners: US 55%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6%

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)

2.7% (1994)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$15,900 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

3.5% (1994 est.)

Overview

The Bahamas is a stable, 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

13.1% (1993)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telephone system

99,000 telephones; totally automatic system; highly developed local: NA intercity: NA international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Television

broadcast stations: 1 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 60 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 11 with paved runways under 914 m: 22 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 8

Highways

total: 2,400 km paved: 1,350 km unpaved: gravel 1,050 km

Merchant marine

total: 936 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,815,474 GRT/35,253,416 DWT ships by type: bulk 162, cargo 181, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 19, container 52, liquefied gas tanker 20, oil tanker 182, passenger 55, refrigerated cargo 146, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 16, vehicle carrier 12 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes 46 countries among which are UK 158 ships, Norway 125, Greece 100, US 94, Denmark 80, Netherlands 53, France 36, Finland 35, Japan 35, Sweden 25

Ports

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Railroads

0 km

Branches

Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990) ________________________________________________________________________ BAHRAIN