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 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

Area
Rank: 161
Land: 10,010 km²
Water: 3,870 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,542 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources: salt aragonite timber arable land

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.29%
Other: 99.06% (2011)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 0.02 km³ (2011)

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: 319,031 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 179
Growth rate: 0.89% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 127
Below poverty line: 9.3% (2004)

Nationality
Adjective: Bahamian

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

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

Religions: Protestant 67.6% (Baptist 35.4% Anglican 15.1% Pentecostal 8.1% Church of God 4.8% Methodist 4.2%) Roman Catholic 13.5% other Christian 15.2% none or unspecified 2.9% other 0.8% (2000 census)

Age structure
15-24 years: 17.5% (male 28,306/female 27,562)
25-54 years: 44.1% (male 70,093/female 70,608)
55-64 years: 8.1% (male 11,371/female 14,355)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 8,233/female 13,263) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 30 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.8 %
Potential support ratio: 9.2 (2013)

Median age
Male: 29.7 years
Female: 32 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.89% (2013 est.)
Rank: 127

Birth rate: 15.81 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 126

Death rate: 6.96 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 135

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 77

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: NASSAU (capital) 254,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.79 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 126
Male: 12.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.88 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 141
Male: 69.25 years
Female: 74.19 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 132

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.82 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 3.1 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 24
People living with hivaids: 6,600 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 114
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 93

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 34.7% (2008)
Rank: 13

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 95.6%
Male: 94.7%
Female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2006)

Country name
Conventional short form: The Bahamas

Government type: constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

Capital
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: previous 1964 (preindependence); latest adopted 20 June 1973 effective 10 July 1973; amended many times last in 2002; note - in 2012 a constitutional commission was appointed to review and recommend constitutional changes (2013)

Legal system: common law system based on the English model

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 8 May 2012)
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 (38 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 7 May 2012 (next to be held by May 2017)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLP 30 FNM 8

Judicial branch: note - as of 2008 the Bahamas was not a party to the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice as the highest appellate court for the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM); the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal for the Bahamas
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal justices appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister and in consultation with the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 68-70
Subordinate courts: Supreme Court; Industrial Tribunal; Stipendiary and Magistrates Courts; Family Island Administrators

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS C Caricom CDB CELAC 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 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: Atlanta Miami New York
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 symbols: blue marlin; flamingo

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Timothy GIBSON

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. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and when combined with business services account for about 36% of GDP. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than a 10th of GDP and show little growth despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. The economy of The Bahamas shrank at an average pace of 0.8% annually between 2007-11 and tourism financial services and construction - pillars of the national economy - remained weak. These challenges coupled with a growing public debt increases in government expenditures a narrow revenue base and heavy dependence on customs and property taxes have led to prospects of limited growth for The Bahamas.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 153

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 143

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 43

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 14.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 31.9%
Investment in inventories: 1.3%
Exports of goods and services: 44.8%
Imports of goods and services: -62.9%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 7.2%
Services: 90.7% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: citrus vegetables; poultry

Industries: tourism banking cement oil transshipment salt rum aragonite pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 192,200 (2012)
Rank: 173
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation tourism: 50%
By occupation other services: 40% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14.2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 138

Population below poverty line: 9.3% (2004)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 22% (2007 est.)

Budget
Expenditures: $2.04 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 178

Taxes and other revenues: 19.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 173

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 41

Central bank discount rate: 4% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 93

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 5.06% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 157

Stock of narrow money: $1.435 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 132

Stock of broad money: $6.104 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 120

Stock of domestic credit: $8.511 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 103

Market value of publicly traded shares: $2.78 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Current account balance: $-1.136 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 126

Exports: $833.5 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 157
Commodities: crawfish aragonite crude salt polystyrene products
Partners: Singapore 25.1% US 20.6% Dominican Republic 12.9% Ecuador 9.4% Canada 5.8% Switzerland 4.1% China 4.1% (2012)

Imports: $2.966 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 141
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment manufactures chemicals mineral fuels; food and live animals
Partners: US 30.1% India 20.3% Singapore 8.7% South Korea 6.8% China 5% Colombia 4.5% Canada 4.2% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.07 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 139

Debt external: $15.13 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 83

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 1.93 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 137
Consumption: 1.795 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 142
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 164
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 161
Installed generating capacity: 493,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 139
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 7
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 46
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 158
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 156

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 153
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 84
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 159
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 107

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 154
Products consumption: 36,300 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 112
Products exports: 41,770 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 63
Products imports: 64,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 61

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 103
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 119
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 64
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 159
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 es)
Proven reserves rank: 114

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 4.734 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 128

Telephones
Main lines in use: 137,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 141
Mobile cellular: 254,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 176

Telephone system
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 TV 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: 20,661 (2012)
Hosts rank: 117
Users: 115,800 (2009)
Users rank: 156

Military expenditures: 0.6% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 157

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2012)

Airports: 61 (2013)
Rank: 79
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 13
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 16
With unpaved runways: 17 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Roadways
Rank: 170
Paved: 1620 km
Unpaved: 1080 km (2011)

Merchant marine
Rank: 10
By type: barge carrier 1 bulk carrier 238 cargo 170 carrier 2 chemical tanker 87 combination ore/oil 8 container 57 liquefied gas 71 passenger 102 passenger/cargo 26 petroleum tanker 225 refrigerated cargo 97 roll on/roll off 13 specialized tanker 2 vehicle carrier 61
Foreign owned: 1063 (Angola 6 Australia 1 Belgium 6 Bermuda 15 Brazil 1 Canada 96 Croatia 1 Cyprus 23 Denmark 69 Finland 8 France 15 Germany 30 Greece 225 Guernsey 6 Hong Kong 3 Indonesia 2 Ireland 3 Italy 1 Japan 88 Jordan 2 Kuwait 1 Malaysia 13 Monaco 8 Montenegro 2 Netherlands 23 Nigeria 2 Norway 186 Poland 34 Saudi Arabia 16 Singapore 7 South Korea 1 Spain 6 Sweden 11 Switzerland 1 Thailand 4 Turkey 3 UAE 23 UK 18 US 109)
Registered in other countries: 6 (Panama 6) (2010)

Ports and terminals
Container port: Freeport (1,116,272)(2011)
Cruise port: Nassau

Disputes international: disagrees with the US on the alignment of the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary

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