2005 Edition

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.9% (male 42,142/female 42,096) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 97,865/female 101,047) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 7,616/female 11,024) (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Airports

63 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

29 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)

Area

land

10,070 sq km

total

13,940 sq km

water

3,870 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Background

Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. Geography Bahamas, The

Birth rate

17.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1 billion, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY03/04)

revenues

$1 billion

Capital

Nassau

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline

3,542 km

Constitution

10 July 1973

Country name

conventional long form

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

conventional short form

The Bahamas

Currency (code)

Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Currency code

BSD

Death rate

8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$308.5 million (2002)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador John D. ROOD

embassy

42 Queen Street, Nassau

FAX

[1] (242) 356-0222

mailing address

local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370

telephone

[1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Joshua SEARS

consulate(s) general

Miami and New York

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2668

telephone

[1] (202) 319-2660

Disputes - international

have not been able to agree on the alignment of a maritime boundary with the US; continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees fleeing economic privation and political instability

Economic aid - recipient

$9.8 million (1995)

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 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in these sectors in 2001-03. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. In addition to tourism and banking, the government supports the development of a "third pillar," e-commerce.

Electricity - consumption

1.596 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

1.716 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Ethnic groups

black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

Exchange rates

Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002)

Exports

$636 million (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals; fruit and vegetables

Exports - partners

US 40.2%, Poland 13.3%, Spain 11.6%, Germany 5.9%, France 4.3% (2004)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June Communications Bahamas, The

Flag description

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

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3%

industry

7%

services

90% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.295 billion (2004 est.)

Geographic coordinates

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Geography - note

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited People Bahamas, The

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Heliports

1 (2004 est.) Military Bahamas, The

Highways

paved

1,546 km

total

2,693 km

unpaved

1,147 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

5,600 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: 27% (2000)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005 ======================================================================

Imports

$1.63 billion (2003)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals

Imports - partners

US 22.4%, South Korea 18.9%, Brazil 9.2%, Japan 7.9%, Italy 7.8%, Venezuela 6.6% (2004)

Independence

10 July 1973 (from UK)

Industrial production growth rate

NA

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

19.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

31.02 deaths/1,000 live births

total

25.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.2% (year ending September 2004)

International organization participation

ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOM, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Internet country code

.bs

Internet hosts

302 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

19 (2000)

Internet users

84,000 (2003) Transportation Bahamas, The

Irrigated land

NA

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts

Labor force

156,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0.8%

other

98.8% (2001)

permanent crops

0.4%

Languages

English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

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 five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time

election results

percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4

elections

last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.04 years (2005 est.)

male

62.11 years

total population

65.54 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

96.5% (2003 est.) Government Bahamas, The

male

94.7%

total population

95.6%

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

28.34 years (2005 est.)

male

26.78 years

total

27.55 years

Merchant marine

by type

barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 183, cargo 259, chemical tanker 54, combination ore/oil 17, container 74, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, passenger 116, passenger/cargo 40, petroleum tanker 168, refrigerated cargo 130, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 24

foreign-owned

968 (Angola 4, Australia 4, Belgium 17, Canada 9, China 3, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 18, Estonia 1, Finland 7, France 28, Germany 15, Greece 194, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 1, Italy 7, Japan 49, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 15, Netherlands 24, New Zealand 1, Nigeria 2, Norway 229, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 12, Serbia & Montenegro 2, Singapore 11, Slovenia 1, South Korea 1, Spain 6, Sweden 9, Switzerland 4, Thailand 1, Trinidad & Tobago 2, Turkey 7, UAE 12, United Kingdom 55, United States 154, Uruguay 2)

registered in other countries

35 (2005)

total

1,119

Military branches

Royal Bahamaian Defense Force (naval forces) (2004)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA Transnational Issues Bahamas, The

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

Nationality

adjective

Bahamian

noun

Bahamian(s)

Natural hazards

hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

Natural resources

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Net migration rate

-2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

301,790 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Population growth rate

0.67% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios

215,000 (1997)

Religions

Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

totally automatic system; highly developed

general assessment

modern facilities

international

country code - 1-242; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

Telephones - main lines in use

131,700 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

121,800 (2002)

Television broadcast stations

2 (2004)

Televisions

67,000 (1997)

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

10.2% (2004 est.)