2019 Edition

Background

Lucayan 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. Piracy thrived in the 17th and 18th centuries because of The Bahamas close proximity to shipping lanes. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management, which comprise up to 85% of GDP. Because of its proximity to the US - the nearest Bahamian landmass being only 80 km (50 mi) from Florida - the country is a major transshipment point for illicit trafficking, particularly to the US mainland, as well as Europe. US law enforcement agencies cooperate closely with The Bahamas, and the US Coast Guard assists Bahamian authorities in coastal defense through Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, or OPBAT.

Area

Land

10,010 sq km

Total

13,880 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

Highest Point

Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 64 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

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

Irrigated Land

10 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

1.4% (2016 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

0.8% (2016 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0.4% (2016 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

0.2% (2016 est.)

Forest

51.4% (2016 est.)

Other

47.2% (2016 est.)

Location

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

Natural Hazards

hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

Natural Resources

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Population Distribution

most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Age Structure

0 14 Years

22.39% (male 37,777 /female 36,686)

15 24 Years

16.01% (male 26,984 /female 26,281)

25 54 Years

44.1% (male 73,627 /female 73,068)

55 64 Years

9.45% (male 14,298 /female 17,140)

65 Years And Over

8.05% (male 10,318 /female 16,455) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

15.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

6.4% (2016)

Death Rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

11.7 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

8.5 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

40.8 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

29.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

98.4% of population

Improved Total

98.4% of population

Improved Urban

98.4% of population

Unimproved Rural

1.6% of population

Unimproved Total

1.6% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.6% of population

Ethnic Groups

black 90.6%, white 4.7%, black and white 2.1%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

1.8% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<200 (2018)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

6,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

10.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

11.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

11.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

75.4 years

Male

70.4 years

Total Population

72.9 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

280,000 NASSAU (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

70 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

33.5 years

Male

31.1 years

Total

32.3 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Bahamian

Noun

Bahamian(s)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

31.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

1.94 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

332,634 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.79% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Brethren 1.6%, other Protestant .9%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

92% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

92% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

92% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

8% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.83 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.63 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.96 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.94 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

31.6% (2016 est.)

Male

20.8%

Total

25.8%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

1.13% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

83.1% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

31 districts; Acklins Islands, Berry Islands, Bimini, Black Point, Cat Island, Central Abaco, Central Andros, Central Eleuthera, City of Freeport, Crooked Island and Long Cay, East Grand Bahama, Exuma, Grand Cay, Harbour Island, Hope Town, Inagua, Long Island, Mangrove Cay, Mayaguana, Moore's Island, North Abaco, North Andros, North Eleuthera, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Abaco, South Andros, South Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, West Grand Bahama

Capital

Daylight Saving Time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Geographic Coordinates

25 05 N, 77 21 W

Name

Nassau

Time Difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of The Bahamas

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

6-9 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed as an "Act" by Parliament; passage of amendments to articles such as the organization and composition of the branches of government requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of the membership of both houses of Parliament and majority approval in a referendum; passage of amendments to constitutional articles such as fundamental rights and individual freedoms, the powers, authorities, and procedures of the branches of government, or changes to the Bahamas Independence Act 1973 requires approval by at least three-fourths majority of the membership of both houses and majority approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2016 (2018)

History

previous 1964 (preindependence); latest adopted 20 June 1973, effective 10 July 1973

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

Conventional Short Form

The Bahamas

Etymology

name derives from the Spanish "baha mar," meaning "shallow sea," which describes the shallow waters of the Bahama Banks

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Stephanie BOWERS (since 1 March 2018)

Embassy

42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence

Fax

[1] (242) 356-7174

Mailing Address

local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US 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 Sidney Stanley COLLIE (since 20 November 2017)

Consulate's General

Atlanta, Miami, New York, Washington, DC

Fax

[1] (202) 319-2668

Honorary Consulate S

Aurora (CO), Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles

Telephone

[1] (202) 319-2660

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet appointed by governor general on recommendation of prime minister

Chief Of State

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Cornelius A. SMITH (since 28 June 2019)

Elections Appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Hubert MINNIS (since 11 May 2017)

Flag Description

three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea

Government Type

parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

10 July 1973 (from the UK)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, organized in 3-member panels); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and a maximum of 11 and a minimum of 2 justices)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Court of Appeal president and Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition party; other Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body headed by the chief justice; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 68 but can be extended until age 70; Supreme Court justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65 but can be extended until age 67

Subordinate Courts

Industrial Tribunal; Stipendiary and Magistrates' Courts; Family Island Administrators

Legal System

common law system based on the English model

Legislative Branch

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve 5-year terms) House of Assembly (39 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

Senate - appointed; composition - men 9, women 7, percent of women 43.8% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - FNM 57%, PLP 36.9%, other 6.1%; seats by party - FNM 35, PLP 4; composition - men 34, women 5, percent of women 12.8%; note - total Parliament percent of women 21.8%

Elections

Senate - last appointments on 24 May 2017 (next appointments in 2022) House of Assembly - last held on 10 May 2017 (next to be held by May 2022)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Timothy GIBSON

Name

March On, Bahamaland!

National Holiday

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

National Symbol S

blue marlin, flamingo, Yellow Elder flower; national colors: aquamarine, yellow, black

Political Parties And Leaders

Democratic National Alliance or DNA [Christopher MORTIMER, interim leader] Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert MINNIS] Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Philip "Brave" DAVIS]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

citrus, vegetables; poultry; seafood

Budget

Expenditures

2.46 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

2.139 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

1 January 2014

4.5%

31 December 2012

4.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

4.75%

31 December 2017

4.25%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$868 million

2017

-$1.909 billion

Debt External

31 December 2012

$16.35 billion

31 December 2013

$17.56 billion

Economy Overview

The Bahamas has the second highest per capita GDP in the English-speaking Caribbean with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and financial services. Tourism accounts for approximately 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than 7% of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. The new government led by Prime Minister Hubert MINNIS has prioritized addressing fiscal imbalances and rising debt, which stood at 75% of GDP in 2016. Large capital projects like the Baha Mar Casino and Hotel are driving growth. Public debt increased in 2017 in large part due to hurricane reconstruction and relief financing. The primary fiscal balance was a deficit of 0.4% of GDP in 2016. The Bahamas is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that is not a member of the World Trade Organization.

Exchange Rates

2013

1

2014

1

2015

1

2016

1

2017

1

Currency

Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$444.3 million

2017

$550 million

Exports Commodities

Rock lobster, aragonite, crude salt, polystyrene products

Exports Partners

US 63.9%, Namibia 19.3% (2017)

Fiscal Year

1 July - 30 June

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

33.7% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

13% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

68% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-41.8% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

26.3% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0.7% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

2.3% (2017 est.)

Industry

7.7% (2017 est.)

Services

90% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$12.16 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$33,200

2016

$32,300

2017

$32,400

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$12.09 billion

2016

$11.89 billion

2017

$12.06 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

1%

2016

-1.7%

2017

1.4%

Gross National Saving

2015

12.3% of GDP

2016

18.2% of GDP

2017

11.4% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

22% (2007 est.)

Lowest 10

1%

Imports

2016

$2.594 billion

2017

$3.18 billion

Imports Commodities

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

Imports Partners

US 83.2% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

5.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment and logistics, salt, aragonite, pharmaceuticals

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

-0.3%

2017

1.4%

Labor Force

196,900 (2013 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

3%

Industry

11%

Services

49%

Tourism

37% (2011 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2012

$2.78 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

9.3% (2010 est.)

Public Debt

2016

50.5% of GDP

2017

54.6% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$1.002 billion

31 December 2017

$1.522 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$2.461 billion

31 December 2017

$2.654 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$9.09 billion

31 December 2017

$8.805 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$2.461 billion

31 December 2017

$2.654 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

17.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

12.2%

2017

10.1%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

3.089 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

1.654 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

577,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

1.778 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

48,020 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

48,020 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

20,040 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

19,150 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

26 (2017 est.)

Total

86,868

Broadcast Media

The Bahamas has 4 major TV providers that provide service to all major islands in the archipelago; 1 TV station is operated by government-owned, commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB) and competes freely with 4 privately owned TV stations; multi-channel cable TV subscription service is widely available; there are 32 licensed broadcast (radio) service providers, 31 are privately owned FM radio stations operating on New Providence, Grand Bahama Island, Abaco Island, and on smaller islands in the country; the BCB operates a multi-channel radio broadcasting network that has national coverage; the sector is regulated by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (2019)

Internet Country Code

.bs

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

80% (July 2016 est.)

Total

261,853

Telephone System

Domestic

totally automatic system; highly developed; operators focus investment on mobile networks; 30 per 100 fixed-line, 93 per 100 mobile-cellular (2018)

General Assessment

modern facilities; the telecom sector provides a relatively high contribution to overall GDP; activation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in April 2017, allowing mobile subscribers to port their numbers between competing MNO (mobile network operators) (2018)

International

country code - 1-242; landing points for the ARCOS-1, BICS, Bahamas 2-US, and BDSN fiber-optic submarine cables that provide links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links all of the major islands; (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

35 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

113,852

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

107 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

353,540

Airports

61 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

13 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

2 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

7 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

2 (2017)

Total

24 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

4 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

16 (2013)

Total

37 (2013)

Under 914 M

17 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

C6 (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 328, container ship 49, general cargo 96, oil tanker 271, other 674 (2018)

Total

1,418

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

172,730 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

587,516 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

16 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

4 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Container Port's Teus

Freeport (1,116,272)(2011)

Cruise Port S

Nassau

Major Seaport S

Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point

Roadways

Paved

1,620 km (2011)

Total

2,700 km (2011)

Unpaved

1,080 km (2011)

Military And Security Forces

Royal Bahamas Defense Force: Patrol Squadron, Commando Squadron, and Air Wing (2019)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2012)

Disputes International

disagrees with the US on the alignment of the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary

Illicit Drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center