Background: Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973 The Bahamas has 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 Europe and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

Geographic coordinates: 24 15 N 76 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 13,880 km²
Rank: 160
Land: 10,010 km²
Water: 3,870 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,542 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: long flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources: salt aragonite timber arable land

Land use
Arable land: 0.58%
Permanent crops: 0.29%
Other: 99.13% (2005)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: NA

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

Geography
Note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

Population: 310,426
Rank: 177
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Growth rate: 0.935% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 126
Below poverty line: 9.3% (2004)

Nationality
Noun: Bahamian
Adjective: Bahamian

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

Languages: English (official) Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Religions: Baptist 35.4% Anglican 15.1% Roman Catholic 13.5% Pentecostal 8.1% Church of God 4.8% Methodist 4.2% other Christian 15.2% none or unspecified 2.9% other 0.8% (2000 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.3%
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 103,889/female 107,528)
65 years and over: 5.9% (male 6,998/female 11,289) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 29.9 years
Male: 28.8 years
Female: 31 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.935% (2010 est.)
Rank: 126

Birth rate: 16.25 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 128

Death rate: 6.89 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 140

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 98

Urbanization
Urban population: 84% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Environment
Current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.68 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 129
Male: 13.68 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 13.69 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.84 years
Rank: 140
Male: 68.48 years
Female: 73.27 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 128

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 3% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 24
People living with hivaids: 6,200 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 118
Deaths: fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 105

Education expenditures: 3.6% of GDP (2000)
Rank: 127

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95.6%
Male: 94.7%
Female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Conventional short form: The Bahamas

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
Name: Nassau
Geographic coordinates: 25 05 N 77 21 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions: 31 districts; Acklins Islands Berry Islands Bimini Black Point Cat Island Central Abaco Central Andros Central Eleuthera City of Freeport Crooked Island and Long Cay East Grand Bahama Exuma Grand Cay Harbour Island Hope Town Inagua Long Island Mangrove Cay Mayaguana Moore's Island North Abaco North Andros North Eleuthera Ragged Island Rum Cay San Salvador South Abaco South Andros South Eleuthera Spanish Wells West Grand Bahama

Independence: 10 July 1973 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 10 July (1973)

Constitution: 10 July 1973

Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor General Sir Arthur A. FOULKES (since 14 April 2010)
Head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time
Elections: last held on 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86% PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23 PLP 18

Judicial branch: Privy Council in London; Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; Magistrates' Courts

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

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS C Caricom CDB FAO G-77 IADB IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM ITSO ITU LAES MIGA NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW PetroCaribe UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH
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 consulate general: Miami New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nicole A. AVANT
From the us embassy: 42 Queen Street Nassau New Providence
From the us mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8,197 Nassau; US Department of State 3,370 Nassau Place Washington DC 20,521-3,370
From the us telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181 328-2,206 (after hours)
From the us fax: [1] (242) 328-2,206

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top) gold and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea

National anthem
Name: 'March On Bahamaland!'
Lyricsmusic: Timothy GIBSON
Note: adopted 1973; as a Commonwealth country in addition to the national anthem 'God Save the Queen' serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

Economy overview: The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Prior to 2006 a steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels resorts and residences led to solid GDP growth but since then tourism receipts have begun to drop off. The global recession in 2009 took a sizeable toll on the Bahamas resulting in a contraction in GDP and a widening budget deficit. The decline continued in 2010 as tourism from the US and sector investment lagged. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and when combined with business services account for about 36% of GDP. However the financial sector currently is smaller than it has been in the past because of the enactment of new and more strict financial regulations in 2000 that caused many international businesses to relocate elsewhere. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 151
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 193

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 49
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.2%
Industry: 14.7%
Services: 84.1% (2001 est.)

Agriculture products: citrus vegetables; poultry

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 184,000 (2009)
Rank: 173
By occupation agriculture: 5%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation tourism: 50%
By occupation other services: 40% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.6% (2006 est.)
Rank: 80

Population below poverty line: 9.3% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: 27% (2000)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2007 est.)
Rank: 69

Central bank discount rate: 5.25% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 82

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.5% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 143

Stock of narrow money: $1.275 billion (31 December 2008)
Rank: 130

Stock of broad money: $5.893 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 114

Stock of domestic credit: $7.883 billion (31 December 2008)
Rank: 101

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$1.442 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 95

Exports: $674 million (2006)
Rank: 162
Commodities: mineral products and salt animal products rum chemicals fruit and vegetables
Partners: US 35.99% Singapore 18.64% Poland 12.1% Germany 6.24% (2009)

Imports: $2.401 billion (2006)
Rank: 148
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactures chemicals mineral fuels; food and live animals
Partners: US 27.23% South Korea 20.08% Japan 14.55% Singapore 5.89% China 4.75% Venezuela 4.26% Italy 4.12% (2009)

Debt external: $342.6 million (2004 est.)
Rank: 168

Exchange rates: Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2009) 1 (2008) 1 (2007) 1 (2006)

Electricity
Production: 2.045 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 132
Consumption: 1.902 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 135
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 205
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 207
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 200
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 200
Proven reserves: NA m³ (1 January 2009 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 129,000 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 140
Mobile cellular: 358,800 (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 166

Telephone system
General assessment: modern facilities
Domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services
International: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America parts of the Caribbean and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)

Broadcast media: 2 television stations operated by government-owned commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB); multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available; about 15 radio stations operating with BCB operating a multi-channel radio broadcasting network alongside privately-owned radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bs
Hosts: 21,939 (2010)
Hosts rank: 107
Users: 115,800 (2009)
Users rank: 156

Military expenditures: 0.7% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 152

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age; no conscription (2010)

Airports: 62 (2010)
Rank: 78
With paved runways total: 23
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 13
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 39
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 22 (2010)

Heliports: 1 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 2,717 km
Rank: 168
Paved: 1560 km
Unpaved: 1157 km (2002)

Merchant marine
Total: 1170
Rank: 10
By type: barge carrier 1 bulk carrier 229 cargo 191 carrier 2 chemical tanker 80 combination ore/oil 8 container 50 liquefied gas 78 passenger 100 passenger/cargo 29 petroleum tanker 222 refrigerated cargo 106 roll on/roll off 12 specialized tanker 2 vehicle carrier 60
Foreign owned: 1080 (Angola 5 Belgium 9 Bermuda 12 Brazil 1 Canada 102 China 4 Croatia 1 Cyprus 14 Denmark 59 Finland 8 France 19 Germany 39 Greece 209 Guernsey 6 Hong Kong 2 Indonesia 2 Ireland 3 Italy 5 Japan 93 Jordan 2 Kuwait 2 Malaysia 13 Monaco 14 Montenegro 2 Netherlands 22 Nigeria 2 Norway 198 Poland 32 Saudi Arabia 16 Singapore 7 Slovenia 1 Spain 9 Sweden 6 Switzerland 2 Thailand 4 Trinidad and Tobago 1 Turkey 3 UAE 27 UK 24 US 100)
Registered in other countries: 10 (Bolivia 1 Malta 1 Panama 7 Peru 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Freeport Nassau South Riding Point

Disputes international: disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center