Map of The Bahamas | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: 24 15 N 76 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,542 km

Maritime claims

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

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

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


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Population: 294,982
Growth rate: 1.01% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: black 85% white 12% Asian and Hispanic 3%

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.01% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 19.54 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.81 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.67 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 16.99 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.33 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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 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

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 a five-year term) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrate's courts

Political parties and leaders: Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

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 (applicant)

Diplomatic representation

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 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. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute less than 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 income growth in the US which accounts for the majority of tourist visitors.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: citrus vegetables; poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 148,000 (1996)
By occupation tourism: 40%
By occupation other services: 50%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation agriculture: 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.3% (1998)

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: $362.8 million (1998)
Commodities: pharmaceuticals cement rum crawfish refined petroleum products
Partners: US 22.3% Switzerland 15.6% UK 15% Denmark 7.4% (1998)

Imports: $1.74 billion (1998)
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactured goods crude oil vehicles electronics
Partners: US 27.3% Italy 26.5% Japan 10% Denmark 4.2% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $349 million (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 1.34 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 1.246 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 2,400 (1993)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $20 million (FY95/96)
Percent of gdp: NA%

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: 62 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

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; banking industry vulnerable to money laundering