Bahamas, The

Branches

Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $20 million, 3.8% of GDP (FY95/96)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0

Radios

200,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

119,000 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1986 est.)

Televisions

60,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $665 million expenditures: $725 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (FY95/96 est.)

Currency

1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

$NA

Economic overview

The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs 40% of the archipelago's labor force. A slowdown in the expansion of the tourism sector - especially stopover travel from Europe - led to a reduction in the country's GDP growth rate in 1995, down to an estimated 2% from 3.5% in 1994. The construction sector benefited from hotel rehabilitation and the government's ongoing housing development program. Earnings from exports of vegetable and citrus production have been decreasing since 1993 but are expected to increase in 1996 due to storm damage to crops in Florida. The overall growth prospects through 1996 will depend heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector and continued income growth in the US, which accounts for the majority of tourist visits.

Electricity

capacity: 424,000 kW production: 929 million kWh consumption per capita: 3,200 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$224.257 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products partners: US 51%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5%

External debt

$407.8 million (December 1994)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $4.8 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 35% services: 62% (1994)

GDP per capita

$18,700 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$1.08 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics partners: US 55%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (1994)

Labor force

136,900 (1993) by occupation: government 30%, tourism 40%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

15% (1995 est.)

Area

total area: 13,940 sq km land area: 10,070 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline

3,542 km

Environment

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

Geographic coordinates

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Geographic note

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 32% other: 67%

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources

salt, aragonite, timber

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia 63 m

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

Capital

Nassau

Constitution

10 July 1973

Data code

BF

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) is a hereditary monarch, represented by Governor General Sir Orville TURNQUEST (since 2 January 1995) who was appointed by the queen head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Frank WATSON (since NA) were appointed by the governor general cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation

FAX

[1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

FAX

[1] (809) 328-7838

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side

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

Independence

10 July 1973 (from UK)

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, UNMIH, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Name of country

conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas

National holiday

National Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties and leaders

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM

Senate

a 16-member body appointed by the governor general

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

commonwealth

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; P.O. Box 9009, Miami, FL 33159; Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 (pouch) telephone: [1] (809) 322-1181, 328-2206

Age structure

0-14 years: 28% (male 36,331; female 35,771) 15-64 years: 67% (male 84,107; female 89,193) 65 years and over: 5% (male 5,449; female 8,516) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

18.73 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

5.74 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black 85%, white 15%

Infant mortality rate

23.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.53 years male: 67.98 years female: 77.16 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literacy not available (1995 est.) total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Net migration rate

-2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

259,367 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.05% (1996 est.)

Religions

Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 55 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 16 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 11 with paved runways under 914 m: 17 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 8 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 2,386 km paved: 1,342 km unpaved: 1,044 km (1986 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 956 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,592,285 GRT/35,765,965 DWT ships by type: bulk 176, cargo 182, chemical tanker 43, combination bulk 9, combination ore/oil 19, container 53, liquefied gas tanker 20, oil tanker 180, passenger 53, refrigerated cargo 147, roll-on/roll-off cargo 47, short-sea passenger 13, vehicle carrier 14 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 48 countries among which are Norway 155, Greece 124, US 84, Denmark 63, Netherlands 44, Sweden 36, Finland 34, France 29, Japan 29, and Belgium 24 (1995 est.)

Ports

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Railways

0 km