from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Bahamas
Introduction, The
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.
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, The
Location: Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic
Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Geographic 24 15 N, 76 00 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Connecticut
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 3,542 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf
Stream
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
Natural salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
resources:
Land use: arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.13% (2005)
Irrigated 10 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive
hazards: flood and wind damage
Environment - coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
current
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive
note: island chain of which 30 are inhabited
People, The
Population: 303,770
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.5% (male 41,799/female 41,733)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 98,847/female 102,074)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 7,891/female 11,426)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 27.8 years
male: 27.1 years
female: 28.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.64% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 17.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 (2006 est.)
Infant total: 24.68 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 30.29 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 18.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 65.6 years
expectancy at male: 62.24 years
birth: female: 69.03 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 3% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 5,600 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups: black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
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)
Languages: English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
Government, The
Country name: conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Government constitutional parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in
April; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat
divisions: 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
Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK)
National Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
holiday:
Constitution: 10 July 1973
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
branch: 1952), represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA
(since 1 February 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE
(since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia
PRATT (since 7 May 2002)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on
the prime minister's recommendation
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
Legislative bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member
branch: 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
elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May
2007)
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
Judicial Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme
branch: (lower) Court; magistrates courts
Political Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM];
parties and Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]
leaders:
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
organization (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
participation: Interpol, IOM, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW
(signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), WToO
Diplomatic chief of mission: vacant
representation chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD
representation embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
from the US: 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)
FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222
Flag three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold,
description: and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based
on the hoist side
Economy, The
Economy - The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an
overview: economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore
banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven
construction and manufacturing accounts for
approximately 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. The current
government has presided over a period of economic
recovery and an upturn in large-scale private sector
investments in tourism. 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.
GDP $6.105 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $5.783 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3.7% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $20,200 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 3%
composition by industry: 7%
sector: services: 90% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 176,300 (2004)
Labor force - agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other
by occupation: services 40% (2005 est.)
Unemployment 10.2% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 9.3% (2004)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: 27%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 1.2% ( 2004)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $1.03 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion; including capital
expenditures of $130 million (FY04/05)
Agriculture - citrus, vegetables; poultry
products:
Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum,
aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 1.81 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 100%
production by hydro: 0%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 1.683 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 23,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $469.3 million (2004 est.)
Exports - mineral products and salt, animal products, rum,
commodities: chemicals, fruit and vegetables
Exports - US 31%, Spain 29.7%, Poland 9.3%, Germany 5.6%,
partners: Guatemala 4.1% (2005)
Imports: $1.82 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - machinery and transport equipment, manufactures,
commodities: chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals
Imports - US 22.5%, South Korea 20.2%, Spain 7.8%, Brazil 7.1%,
partners: Italy 6.5%, Germany 5.4% (2005)
Debt - $342.6 million (2004 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $5 million (2004)
recipient:
Currency Bahamian dollar (BSD)
(code):
Currency code: BSD
Exchange Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1
rates: (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications, The
Telephones - 139,900 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 186,000 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern facilities
system: domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed
international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric
scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial
submarine cables; satellite earth station - 2 (2005)
Radio AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 215,000 (1997)
Television 2 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 67,000 (1997)
Internet .bs
country code:
Internet 591 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 19 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 93,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation, The
Airports: 64 (2006)
Airports - total: 29
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 35
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 22 (2006)
Heliports: 1 (2006)
Roadways: total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1999)
Merchant total: 1,177 ships (1000 GRT or over) 37,743,270 GRT/
marine: 50,918,747 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 253, cargo 250,
chemical tanker 64, container 79, liquefied gas 35,
livestock carrier 2, passenger 115, passenger/cargo 34,
petroleum tanker 175, refrigerated cargo 114, roll on/
roll off 20, specialized tanker 5, vehicle carrier 30
foreign-owned: 1,093 (Angola 5, Australia 2, Belgium
13, Canada 18, China 3, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 59,
Estonia 1, Finland 8, France 37, Germany 22, Greece
232, Hong Kong 8, Iceland 1, India 1, Indonesia 4,
Ireland 2, Israel 1, Italy 5, Japan 51, Jordan 2, Kenya
1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 17, Montenegro 2,
Netherlands 24, Nigeria 2, Norway 259, Philippines 1,
Poland 15, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 12,
Singapore 12, Slovenia 1, Spain 12, Sweden 6,
Switzerland 2, Thailand 1, Turkey 8, UAE 16, UK 69,
Uruguay 2, US 121, Venezuela 1)
registered in other countries: 4 (Barbados 1, Liberia
1, Panama 2) (2006)
Ports and Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
terminals:
Military, The
Military Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Marines, Air Wing (2006)
branches:
Military 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 73,121 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 44,309 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,804 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational, The
Issues
Disputes - disagrees with the US on the alignment of the maritime
international: boundary; continues to monitor and interdict Haitian
refugees fleeing economic privation and political
instability
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for
US and Europe; offshore financial center