Definition Field Listing Rank
Order
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. Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Location: |
Caribbean,
chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida,
northeast of Cuba |
Geographic coordinates: |
24 15 N, 76
00 W |
Map references: |
Central
America and the Caribbean |
Area: |
total:
13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870
sq km |
Area - comparative: |
slightly
smaller than Connecticut |
Land boundaries: |
0 km |
Coastline: |
3,542 km
|
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm 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 extremes: |
lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount
Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
Natural resources: |
salt,
aragonite, timber, arable land |
Land use: |
arable
land: 0.8% permanent crops: 0.4% other:
98.8% (2001) |
Irrigated land: |
NA sq km
|
Natural hazards: |
hurricanes
and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
|
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 |
Geography - note: |
strategic
location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30
are inhabited Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Population: |
299,697
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
2004 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 28.3% (male 42,474; female 42,423) 15-64
years: 65.7% (male 96,825; female 99,985) 65 years and
over: 6% (male 7,351; female 10,639) (2004 est.) |
Median age: |
total: 27.3 years male: 26.5 years
female: 28 years (2004 est.) |
Population growth rate: |
0.72% (2004
est.) |
Birth rate: |
18.22
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Death rate: |
8.82
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Net migration rate: |
-2.2
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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 (2004 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
25.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 31.73 deaths/1,000
live births female: 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 65.63 years male: 62.21 years
female: 69.11 years (2004 est.) |
Total fertility rate: |
2.23 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
3% (2003
est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
5,600 (2003
est.) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 200
(2003 est.) |
Nationality: |
noun:
Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian |
Ethnic groups: |
black 85%,
white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
Religions: |
Baptist 32%,
Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%,
other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% |
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.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Country name: |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
Government type: |
constitutional parliamentary democracy |
Capital: |
Nassau
|
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 |
Independence: |
10 July 1973
(from UK) |
National holiday: |
Independence
Day, 10 July (1973) |
Constitution: |
10 July 1973
|
Legal system: |
based on
English common law |
Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
Executive branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor General Dame Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002) 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 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 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 branch: |
Supreme
Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts |
Political parties and leaders: |
Free
National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal
Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
International organization participation: |
ACP, C,
Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU,
ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS chancery: 2220
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone:
[1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York |
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert M.
WITAJEWSKI embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
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) FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
Flag description: |
three equal
horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a
black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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. |
GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $5.049 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: |
0% (2003
est.) |
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $16,700 (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 3% industry: 7%
services: 90% (2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line: |
NA |
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA highest 10%: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
1.7% (2002
est.) |
Labor force: |
156,000
(1999) |
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.) |
Unemployment rate: |
6.9% (2001
est.) |
Budget: |
revenues: $918.5 million expenditures: $956.5
million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00)
|
Agriculture - products: |
citrus,
vegetables; poultry |
Industries: |
tourism,
banking, e-commerce, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt,
rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe |
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA (2002
est.) |
Electricity - production: |
1.56 billion
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - consumption: |
1.451 billion
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
Oil - consumption: |
23,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
Exports: |
$617 million
(2002 est.) |
Exports - commodities: |
fish and
crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables |
Exports - partners: |
US 39.4%,
Spain 10.8%, Germany 8.7%, France 8.6%, Peru 4.8%, Mexico 4.4%,
Switzerland 4.1% (2003 est.) |
Imports: |
$1.614
billion (2002 est.) |
Imports - commodities: |
machinery
and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels;
food and live animals |
Imports - partners: |
South Korea
19.7%, US 18.2%, Italy 10%, Norway 9.7%, France 7.9%, Japan 4.9%,
Venezuela 4.6% (2003 est.) |
Debt - external: |
$308.5
million (2002) |
Economic aid - recipient: |
$9.8 million
(1995) |
Currency: |
Bahamian
dollar (BSD) |
Currency code: |
BSD |
Exchange rates: |
Bahamian
dollars per US dollar - 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1
(1999) |
Fiscal year: |
1 July - 30
June Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Highways: |
total:
2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km
(1999 est.) |
Ports and harbors: |
Freeport,
Matthew Town, Nassau |
Merchant marine: |
total: 1,035 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,631,252
GRT/43,025,977 DWT by type: bulk 165, cargo 188, chemical
tanker 45, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 17, container
97, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large
load carrier 4, passenger 108, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker
163, refrigerated cargo 133, roll on/roll off 34,
short-sea/passenger 18, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 20
foreign-owned: Algeria 1, Australia 7, Belgium 14,
Bermuda 1, Canada 4, Chile 1, China 4, Croatia 1, Cuba 3, Cyprus 14,
Denmark 49, Estonia 1, Faroe Islands 1, Finland 9, France 21,
Germany 13, Gibraltar 1, Greece 163, Hong Kong 9, India 1, Indonesia
3, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 7, Japan 35, Kenya 2, South Korea 1,
Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malaysia 11, Malta 1, Monaco 68, Netherlands
29, New Zealand 1, Norway 231, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 14,
Reunion 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, Spain
6, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2
registered in other countries: 11 (2003 est.) |
Airports: |
63 (2003
est.) |
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 30 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to
3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523
m: 10 under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 33 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to
1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 21 (2003 est.) |
Heliports: |
1 (2003
est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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