1998 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, on Cat Island 63 m

Environment-current issues

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

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 39,239; female 38,708) 15-64 years: 67% (male 91,208; female 95,198) 65 years and over: 5% (male 6,444; female 9,036) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

21.03 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

5.44 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 85%, white 15%

Infant mortality rate

18.97 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74 years male: 70.65 years female: 77.42 years (1998 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

-1.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

279,833 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.39% (1998 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 (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.33 children born/woman (1998 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

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] (242) 356-0222 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: Local or Express Mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; American Embassy, Nassau; Stateside address: American Embassy, P.O. Box 9009, Miami, FL 33159; Pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 (pouch) telephone: [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2206

[1] (809) 356-0222

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 Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arlington Griffith BUTLER chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 mailing address: American Embassy, NAS/STATE 10-1006, P.O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]; Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]

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 35, PLP 5

National capital

Nassau

National holiday

National Day, 10 July (1973)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $687.5 million expenditures: $827 million, including capital expenditures of $112 million (FY96/97 est.)

Currency

1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Debt-external

$381.7 million (1997)

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. Moderate growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences led to an increase of the country's GDP by an estimated 3.5% in 1997. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute less than 10% of GDP and show little growth despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. 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 visitors.

Electricity-capacity

401,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

4,100 kWh (1996)

Electricity-production

1.29 billion kWh (1996)

Exchange rates

Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1-1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)

Exports

total value: $201.7 million (f.o.b., 1996) 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 Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$5.36 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 5% services: 92% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$19,400 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

3.5% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $1.26 billion (c.i.f., 1996) 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

0.4% (1997)

Labor force

total: 146,600 (1996) by occupation: government 30%, tourism 40%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0

Radios

200,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: 91,183 telephone lines; 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

200,000 (1997 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1986 est.)

Televisions

60,000 (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

10% (1997 est.)

Airports

62 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 32 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: 2 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 21 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1997 est.) Ports and harbors: Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Merchant marine

total: 1,024 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,674,594 GRT/38,334,892 DWT ships by type: bulk 205, cargo 223, chemical tanker 34, combination bulk 8, combination ore/oil 21, container 55, liquefied gas tanker 25, oil tanker 176, passenger 53, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 145, roll-on/roll-off cargo 49, short-sea passenger 11, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 17 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 48 countries among which are Norway 172, Greece 145, UK 122, US 70, Denmark 42, Sweden 29, Finland 27, Monaco 27, Japan 26, and Italy 25 (1997 est.)

Railways

0 km

Military branches

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

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$22.9 million (FY96/97)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

3.8% (FY95/96)

Disputes-international

none

Illicit drugs

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