Bahamas, The

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

200,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: 91,183 telephone subscribers; 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

200,000 (1997 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

Televisions

60,000 (1993 est.)

Agriculture--products

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Budget

revenues: $766 million expenditures: $845 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (FY97/98)

Currency

1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Debt--external

$381.7 million (1997)

Economic aid--recipient

$9.8 million (1995)

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 4% 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.

Electricity--consumption

1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--exports

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--imports

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity--production

1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity--production by source

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$300 million (1998)

Exports--commodities

pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products

Exports--partners

US 24.5%, EU (excluding UK) 23.9%, UK 12.6%, Singapore 5.6% (1997)

Fiscal year

1 July--30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity--$5.63 billion (1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector

agriculture: 3% industry: 5% services: 92% (1997 est.)

GDP--per capita

purchasing power parity?$20,100 (1998 est.)

GDP--real growth rate

4% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.37 billion (1998)

Imports--commodities

foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics

Imports--partners

US 34.9%, EU 24.3%, Japan 15.5%, Russia 6.3% (1997)

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)

0.4% (1997)

Labor force

148,000 (1996)

Labor force--by occupation

government 30%, tourism 40%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

9% (1998 est.)

Area

total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km

Area--comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline

3,542 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment--current issues

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment--international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Geography--note

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 32% other: 67% (1993 est.)

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 economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

Natural resources

salt, aragonite, timber

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

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

Country name

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

Data code

BF

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Arthur SCHECHTER embassy: Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P.O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P.O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Arlington Griffith BUTLER chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Orville TURNQUEST (since 2 January 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Frank WATSON (since December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general

Flag description

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

Government type

commonwealth

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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on English common law

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) elections: last held 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--FNM 35, PLP 5

National holiday

National Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties and leaders

Progressive Liberal Party or PLP INGRAHAM]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

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

Military expenditures--dollar figure

$20 million (FY95/96)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP

NA%

Age structure

0-14 years: 27% (male 39,271; female 38,740) 15-64 years: 67% (male 92,830; female 96,814) 65 years and over: 6% (male 6,696; female 9,354) (1999 est.)

Birth rate

20.58 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate

5.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 85%, white 15%

Infant mortality rate

18.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages

English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.25 years male: 70.94 years female: 77.64 years (1999 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Net migration rate

-1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population

283,705 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate

1.36% (1999 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: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.31 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Disputes--international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; banking industry vulnerable to money laundering

Airports

62 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways

total: 33 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways

total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 21 (1998 est.)

Highways

total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1997 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1,079 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,631,924 GRT/41,196,326 DWT ships by type: bulk 209, cargo 241, chemical tanker 43, combination bulk 13, combination ore/oil 22, container 61, liquefied gas tanker 34, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 170, passenger 62, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 140, roll-on/roll-off cargo 48, short-sea passenger 12, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 19 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 49 countries among which are Norway 177, Greece 141, UK 113, US 61, Denmark 39, Finland 27, Japan 25, Sweden 24, France 22, and Italy 22 (1998 est.)

Ports and harbors

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Railways

0 km