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 Match 20   DB Rec# - 7,472  Dataset-WOFACT



Title         :The Bahamas 
Text          : 
                                   The Bahamas 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of 
    Florida 
Map references: 
    Central America and the Caribbean 
Area: 
  total area: 
    13,940 sq km 
  land area: 
    10,070 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly larger than Connecticut 
Land boundaries: 
    0 km 
Coastline: 
    3,542 km 
Maritime claims: 
  continental shelf: 
    200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation 
  exclusive fishing zone: 
    200 nm 
  territorial sea: 
    3 nm 
International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream 
Terrain: 
    long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills 
Natural resources: 
    salt, aragonite, timber 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    1% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    0% 
  forest and woodland: 
    32% 
  other: 
    67% 
Irrigated land: 
    NA sq km 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    coral reef decay 
  natural hazards: 
    hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind 
    damage 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous 
    Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship 
    Pollution 


Note: 
    strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain 
 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    256,616 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    28% (female 35,924; male 36,504) 
  15-64 years: 
    66% (female 87,868; male 82,780) 
  65 years and over: 
    6% (female 8,247; male 5,293) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    1.09% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    19.23 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    5.79 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    -2.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    24.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    72.12 years 
  male: 
    67.37 years 
  female: 
    76.97 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    2.01 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Bahamian(s) 
  adjective: 
    Bahamian 
Ethnic divisions: 
    black 85%, white 15% 
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: 
    age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available 
    (1963 est.) 
  total population: 
    90% 
  male: 
    90% 
  female: 
    89% 
Labor force: 
    136,900 (1993) 
  by occupation: 
    government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, 
    agriculture 5% (1989) 
 


                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
     Commonwealth of The Bahamas 
  conventional short form: 
    The Bahamas 
Digraph: 
    BF 
Type: 
    commonwealth 
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, Nicholls Town and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, 
    Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay 
Independence: 
    10 July 1973 (from UK) 
National holiday: 
    National 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 
    Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992) 
  head of government: 
    Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) 
  cabinet: 
    Cabinet; appointed by the governor on the prime minister's recommendation 
Legislative branch: 
    bicameral Parliament 
  Senate: 
    a 16-member body appointed by the governor general 
  House of Assembly: 
    elections last held 19 August 1992 (next to be held by August 1997); results
 
    - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) FNM 32, PLP 17 
Judicial branch: 
    Supreme Court 
Political parties and leaders: 
    Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National 
    Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM; 
Member of: 
    ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, 
    IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS,
 
    OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON 
  chancery: 


    2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 
  telephone: 
    [1] (202) 319-2660 
 
                                   Government 
  FAX: 
    [1] (202) 319-2668 
  consulate(s) general: 
    Miami and New York 
US diplomatic representation: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS 
  embassy: 
    Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau 
  mailing address: 
    P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau 
  telephone: 
    [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2206 
  FAX: 
    [1] (809) 328-7838 
Flag: 
    three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with 
    a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side 
 
                                     Economy 
 
Overview: 
    The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation whose economy is based primarily 
    on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and
 
    directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work 
    force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in 
    the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, per capita GDP is one of the 
    highest in the region. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $4.4 billion (1994 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    3.5% (1994 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $15,900 (1994 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    2.7% (1994) 
Unemployment rate: 
    13.1% (1993) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $696 million 
  expenditures: 
    $756 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95) 
Exports: 
    $257 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.) 
  commodities: 
    pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products 
  partners: 
    US 51%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5% 
Imports: 
    $1.15 billion (f.o.b,,1993 est.) 
  commodities: 
    foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics 
  partners: 


    US 55%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6% 
External debt: 
    $455 million (December 1993) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    424,000 kW 
  production: 
    929 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    3,200 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, 
    rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal 
    products - citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food 
Illicit drugs: 
    transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; also 
    a money-laundering center 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1 million; Western (non-US) 
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million 
 
                                     Economy 
Currency: 
    1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents 
Exchange rates: 
    Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate) 
Fiscal year: 
    1 July - 30 June 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    2,400 km 
  paved: 
    1,350 km 
  unpaved: 
    gravel 1,050 km 
Ports: 
    Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    936 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,815,474 GRT/35,253,416 DWT 
  ships by type: 
    bulk 162, cargo 181, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 9, combination 
    ore/oil 19, container 52, liquefied gas tanker 20, oil tanker 182, passenger
 
    55, refrigerated cargo 146, roll-on/roll-off cargo 43, short-sea passenger 
    16, vehicle carrier 12 
  note: 
    a flag of convenience registry; includes 46 countries among which are UK 158
 
    ships, Norway 125, Greece 100, US 94, Denmark 80, Netherlands 53, France 36,


 
    Finland 35, Japan 35, Sweden 25 
Airports: 
  total: 
    60 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    2 
  with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    16 
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    11 
  with paved runways under 914 m: 
    22 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    8 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    99,000 telephones; totally automatic system; highly developed 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; 3 coaxial 
    submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    1 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force 
Defense expenditures: 
    exchange rate conversion - $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990) 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996