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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.

[edit] Geography

Location 

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

Geographic coordinates 

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Map references 

Central America and the Caribbean

Area 

total: 13,940 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries 

0 km

Coastline 

3,542 km

Maritime claims 

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 0.6%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 99% (1998 est.)

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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

[edit] People

Population 

300,529
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 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

0.86% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

-2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 69.87 years
female: 73.49 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.32 years

Total fertility rate 

2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate 

4.13% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS 

6,900 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths 

500 (1999 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, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.2%
male: 98.5%
female: 98% (1995 est.)

[edit] Government

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 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)
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, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador J. Richard BLANKENSHIP
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206
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

[edit] Economy

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 almost half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. 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 the majority of tourist visitors.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

3.5% (2001)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

1.5% (2001 est.)

Labor force 

156,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation 

tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 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)

Industries 

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

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

1.54 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

1.432 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Exports 

$535.8 million (2000)

Exports - commodities 

fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999)

Exports - partners 

US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000)

Imports 

$1.88 billion (2000)

Imports - commodities 

machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999)

Imports - partners 

US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000)

Debt - external 

$381.9 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient 

$9.8 million (1995)

Currency 

Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Currency code 

BSD

Exchange rates 

Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)

Fiscal year 

1 July - 30 June

[edit] Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

96,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

6,152 (1997)

Telephone system 

general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed
international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios 

215,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

1 (1997)

Televisions 

67,000 (1997)

Internet country code 

.bs

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

19 (2000)

Internet users 

16,900 (2002)

[edit] Transportation

Railways 

0 km

Highways 

total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1997)

Waterways 

none

Ports and harbors 

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Merchant marine 

total: 1,076 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,309,187 GRT/45,859,485 DWT
ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 246, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 80, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 88, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 120, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 16, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 22
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.)

Airports 

67 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 30
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 34 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 3 23 (2002)

Heliports 

1 (2002)

[edit] Military

Military branches 

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$20 million (FY95/96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

0.7% (FY99)

[edit] Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

none

Illicit drugs 

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