Map of The Bahamas | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total area total: 13,940 km²
Land: 10,070 km²
Comparative: 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

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation

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 km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain


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Population: 256,616 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.09% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: 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 profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.09% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 19.23 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.79 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.56 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: coral reef decay
Current issues natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 24.3 deaths/1000 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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literary not available (1963 est.)
Total population: 90%
Male: 90%
Female: 89%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: 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 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 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 participation

Citizenship

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

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, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In 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: [1] (202) 319-2,660
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 319-2,668
In the us consulates general: Miami and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS
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: [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2,206
From the us FAX: [1] (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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $15,900 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture 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: 3% (1990; accounts for 15% of GDP

Labor force: 136,900 (1993)
By occupation government: 30%
By occupation hotelsandrestaurants: 25%
By occupation businessservices: 10%
By occupation agriculture: 5% (1989)

Unemployment rate: 13.1% (1993)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $696 million
Expenditures: $756 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $257 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
Commodoties: 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.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics
Partners: US 55%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $455 million (December 1993)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.00 (fixed rate)


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Electricity
Capacity: 424,000 kW
Production: 929 million kWh
Production consumption per capita: 3,200 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 60
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With paved runways under 914 m: 22
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 8

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

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

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; also a money-laundering center