Bahamas, The

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

19 (2000)

Internet country code

.bs

Internet users

15,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

215,000 (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)

Telephones - main lines in use

96,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

6,152 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

67,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $766 million expenditures: $845 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (FY97/98)

Currency

Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Currency code

BSD

Debt - external

$385.8 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$9.8 million (1995)

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 40% of the archipelago's labor force. Moderate growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences led to an increase of the country's GDP by an estimated 3% in 1998, 6% in 1999, and 4.5% in 2000. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute only 10% of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run will depend heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector and continued sturdy growth in the US, which accounts for the majority of tourist visitors.

Electricity - consumption

1.362 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

1.465 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$376.8 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products

Exports - partners

US 22.3%, Switzerland 15.6%, UK 15%, Denmark 7.4% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.5% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$1.73 billion (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics

Imports - partners

US 27.3%, Italy 26.5%, Japan 10%, Denmark 4.2% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2000 est.)

Labor force

156,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

9% (1998 est.)

Area

total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 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 extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 32% other: 67% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards

hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

Natural resources

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

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, Nicholls Town and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay

Capital

Nassau

Constitution

10 July 1973

Country name

conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate J. Richard BLANKENSHIP embassy: 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Orville TURNQUEST (since 2 January 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Frank WATSON (since December 1994) 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; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

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

Government type

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Independence

10 July 1973 (from UK)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts

Legal system

based on English common law

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 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FNM 35, PLP 5

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties and leaders

Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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.

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

NA%

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.43% (male 44,179; female 43,486) 15-64 years: 64.46% (male 94,329; female 97,674) 65 years and over: 6.11% (male 7,618; female 10,566) (2001 est.)

Birth rate

19.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

4.13% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

6,900 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

17.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages

English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 70.46 years male: 67.27 years female: 73.71 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Net migration rate

-2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

297,852 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 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

0.93% (2001 est.)

Religions

Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%

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 (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.3 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; banking industry vulnerable to money laundering

Airports

65 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 29 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 23 (2000 est.)

Heliports

1 (2000 est.)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

total: 1,049 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,000,221 GRT/44,601,471 DWT ships by type: bulk 185, cargo 214, chemical tanker 36, combination bulk 15, combination ore/oil 22, container 66, liquefied gas 33, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 79, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 182, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 50, short-sea passenger 15, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 24 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Algeria 2, Australia 1, Austria 1, Bermuda 6, Belgium 14, Canada 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 2, Denmark 17, Finland 7, France 9, Germany 9, Greece 89, Hong Kong 7, Indonesia 2, India 1, Israel 4, Italy 8, Japan 23, Jamaica 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 2, Luxembourg 2, Monaco 15, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 16, Norway 139, Poland 3, Portugal 2, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 5, Singapore 12, Spain 7, Sweden 14, Syria 1, Switzerland 7, UAE 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, UK 67, Ukraine 3, US 50, British Virgin Islands 1, British Virgin Islands 1 (2000 est.)

Ports and harbors

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Railways

0 km

Waterways

none