Statistical information The Bahamas 1993

The Bahamas in the World
top of pageBackground: Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973 The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. By the early 1980s the islands had become a major center for drug trafficking particularly shipments to the US.
top of pageLocation: in the western North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northwest of Cuba
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard
Time Zones of the World
AreaTotal: 13,940 km²
Land: 10,070 km²
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3,542 km
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
ElevationNatural resources: salt, aragonite, timber
Land useArable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 32%
Other: 67%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 268,726 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.62% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Bahamian(s)
Adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups: black 85%, white 15%
Languages: English, Creole, among Haitian immigrants
Religions:
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%,
Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.62% (1993 est.)
Birth rateDeath rate: 5.15 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.42 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood damage
Current issues note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 31.6 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 72.02 years
Male: 68.19 years
Female: 75.96 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963)
Total population: 90%
Male: 90%
Female: 89%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Conventional short form: The Bahamas
Government type: commonwealth
Capital: Nassau
Administrative divisions:
21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands,
Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green
Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay
Dependent areasIndependence: 10 July 1973 (from UK)
National holiday: National Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution: 10 July 1973
Legal system: based on English common law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an appointed upper house or Senate and a directly elected lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON
In the us chancery: 2,220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 319-2,660
In the us consulates general: Miami and New York
From the us embassy: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box N-8,197, Nassau
From the us telephone: (809) 322-1181 or 328-2,206
From the us fax: (809) 328-7,838
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income, 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 3% (1991)
Real gdp per capita: $10,200 (1991 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products-citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food
Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 3% (1990; accounts for 15% of GDP
Labor force: 127,400
By occupation government: 30%
By occupation hotelsandrestaurants: 25%
By occupation businessservices: 10%
By occupation agriculture: 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 16% (1991 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $627.5 million; expenditures $727.5 million, including capital expenditures of $100 million (1992 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $306 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish
Partners: US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%
Imports: $1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels, crude oil
Partners: US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1-1.00 (fixed rate)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 424,000 kW capacity; 929 million kWh produced, 3,599 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion-$65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 60
Usable: 55
With permanentsurface runways: 31
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 24403 659 m: 3
With runways 1220-2439 m: 26
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marine:
853 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,136,078
GRT/33,119,750 DWT; includes 53 passenger, 18 short-sea passenger, 159 cargo, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48 container, 6 vehicle carrier, 181 oil tanker, 14 liquefied gas, 22 combination ore/oil, 43 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 159 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 102 refrigerated cargo; note-a flag of convenience registry
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs