1997 Edition

Area

total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water : 3,870 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline

3,542 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point : Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia 63 m

Environment - current issues

coral reef decay

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Geography - note

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land : 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 32% other : 67% (1993 est.)

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 (measured from the archipelagic straight baselines) exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

Natural resources

salt, aragonite, timber

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (male 39,280; female 38,755) 15-64 years: 66% (male 89,483; female 93,479) 65 years and over : 6% (male 6,209; female 8,735) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

21.47 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.45 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 85%, white 15%

Infant mortality rate

19.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.75 years male: 70.36 years female : 77.2 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literacy not available total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Net migration rate

-1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

275,941 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.41% (1997 est.)

Religions

Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.36 children born/woman (1997 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

Constitution

10 July 1973

Country name

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

Data code

BF

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; American Embassy, Nassau, P.O. Box 9009, Miami, FL 33159; Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 (pouch) telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Arlington Griffith BUTLER chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone : [1] (202) 319-2660

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Orville TURNQUEST (since 2 January 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Frank WATSON (since December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections : none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

FAX

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

[1] (242) 328-7838

Flag description

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

Government type

commonwealth

Independence

10 July 1973 (from UK)

International organization participation

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, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

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 a five-year term) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FNM 34, PLP 6

National capital

Nassau

National holiday

National Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties and leaders

Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]; Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $665 million expenditures: $725 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (FY95/96 est.)

Currency

1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$393 million (1995)

Economic aid

$NA

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 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs 40% of the archipelago's labor force. A slowdown in the expansion of the tourism sector - especially stopover travel from Europe - led to a reduction in the country's GDP growth rate in 1995, down to an estimated 2% from 3.5% in 1994. The construction sector benefited from hotel rehabilitation and the government's ongoing housing development program. Earnings from exports of vegetable and citrus production have been decreasing since 1993 but were expected to increase in 1996 due to storm damage to crops in Florida. Overall growth prospects in the short run will depend heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector and continued income growth in the US, which accounts for the majority of tourist visits.

Electricity - capacity

267,000 kW (1993)

Electricity - consumption per capita

2,717 kWh (1993)

Electricity - production

874 million kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.00 (February 1997; fixed rate)

Exports

total value: $267.5 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products partners: US 24%, Spain 14%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5% (1995 est.)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 3% industry: 6% services: 91% (1994)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $18,700 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (1995 est.)

Imports

total value : $1.17 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics partners : US 29%, Finland 10%, Iran 10%, Denmark 8%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe

Inflation rate - consumer price index

2.1% (1995)

Labor force

total: 136,900 (1993) by occupation : government 30%, tourism 40%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

15% (1995 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

200,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

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)

Telephones

119,000 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1986 est.)

Televisions

60,000 (1993 est.)

Airports

54 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 47 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 17 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 2,450 km paved: 1,406 km unpaved: 1,044 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 988 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,690,478 GRT/37,428,826 DWT ships by type: bulk 176, cargo 205, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 23, container 56, liquefied gas tanker 21, oil tanker 184, passenger 47, refrigerated cargo 150, roll-on/roll-off cargo 53, short-sea passenger 11, vehicle carrier 14 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 46 countries among which are Norway 157, Greece 146, UK 128, US 69, Denmark 51, Sweden 34, Finland 32, Belgium 29, Japan 27, and Monaco 27; Bahamas owns 10 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 256,379 DWT that operate under Panamanian and Cypriot registry (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Railways

0 km

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

3.8% (FY95/96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service

males : NA

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; banking industry vulnerable to money-laundering ______________________________________________________________________ BAHRAIN