Bahamas, The

§1. Bahamas Introduction

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.

§2. Bahamas Geography

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 km²
  land: 10,070 km²
  water: 3,870 km²

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: 0.58%
  permanent crops: 0.29%
  other: 99.13% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

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

§3. Bahamas People

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 growth rate:
  0.64% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  17.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 24.68 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 30.29 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 18.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 65.6 years
  male: 62.24 years
  female: 69.03 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.18 children born/woman (2006 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 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.)

§4. Bahamas 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 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 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, IOM, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, 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, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD
  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

§5. Bahamas Economy

Economy - overview:
  The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $5.696 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.779 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $18,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 3%
  industry: 7%
  services: 90% (2001 est.)

Labor force:
  176,300 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  10.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  9.3% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: 27%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.2% (2004)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.03 billion
  expenditures: $1.03 billion; including capital expenditures of $130 million
    (FY04/05)

Agriculture - products:
  citrus, vegetables; poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  1.81 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.683 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  23,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $469.3 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and
  vegetables

Exports - partners:
  US 40.3%, Poland 13.3%, Spain 11.7%, Germany 5.9%, France 4.3% (2004)

Imports:
  $1.82 billion (2004 est.)

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)

Debt - external:
  $342.6 million (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $5 million (2004)

Currency (code):
  Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Exchange rates:
  Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1
  (2001)

Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

§6. Bahamas Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  139,900 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  186,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern facilities
  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 broadcast stations:
  AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)

Television broadcast stations:
  2 (2004)

Internet country code:
  .bs

Internet hosts:
  359 (2005)

Internet users:
  93,000 (2005)

§7. Bahamas Transportation

Airports:
  64 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 30
  over 3,047 m: 2
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
  914 to 1,523 m: 10
  under 914 m: 1 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 34
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  914 to 1,523 m: 9
  under 914 m: 22 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 2,693 km
  paved: 1,546 km
  unpaved: 1,147 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
  total: 1,156
  by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 226, cargo 251, chemical tanker 60,
    combination ore/oil 18, container 71, liquefied gas 31, livestock carrier
    2, passenger 118, passenger/cargo 37, petroleum tanker 171, refrigerated
    cargo 121, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 27
  foreign-owned: 1,070 (Angola 5, Australia 3, Belgium 11, Canada 14, China
    5, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 65, Egypt 1, Estonia 1, Finland
    7, France 28, Germany 12, Greece 217, Hong Kong 7, Indonesia 2, Ireland
    2, Israel 5, Italy 6, Japan 51, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12,
    Monaco 17, Netherlands 25, NZ 1, Nigeria 2, Norway 258, Philippines 1,
    Poland 15, Reunion 1, Russia 4, Saudi Arabia 12, Serbia and Montenegro 2,
    Singapore 14, Slovenia 1, Spain 11, Sweden 10, Switzerland 7, Thailand 1,
    Turkey 10, UAE 14, UK 68, US 121, Uruguay 2)
  registered in other countries: 5 (Barbados 1, Liberia 2, Panama 1, unknown
    1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point

§8. Bahamas Military

Military branches:
  Royal Bahamaian Defense Force (naval forces) (2004)

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA

§9. Bahamas Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  disagrees with the US on the alignment of the maritime 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


<Factbook 2006>
