CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Bahamas, The


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!| Background:
 * Arawak 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 have 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 its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 3,870 sq km land: 10,070 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0.4% other: 98.8% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements !| Geography - note:
 * Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
 * 24 15 N, 76 00 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 13,940 sq km
 * slightly smaller than Connecticut
 * 0 km
 * 3,542 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
 * long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
 * lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
 * salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
 * arable land: 0.8%
 * NA sq km
 * hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
 * coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
 * strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
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!| Population: 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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 96,825; female 99,985) 65 years and over: 6% (male 7,351; female 10,639) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 26.5 years female: 28 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 31.73 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 62.21 years female: 69.11 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Bahamian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.)
 * 299,697
 * 0-14 years: 28.3% (male 42,474; female 42,423)
 * total: 27.3 years
 * 0.72% (2004 est.)
 * 18.22 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
 * total: 25.7 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 65.63 years
 * 2.23 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 3% (2003 est.)
 * 5,600 (2003 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Bahamian(s)
 * black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
 * Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
 * English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: The Bahamas !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002) 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; 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: elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general: Miami and New York FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
 * constitutional parliamentary democracy
 * Nassau
 * 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, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay
 * 10 July 1973 (from UK)
 * Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
 * 10 July 1973
 * based on English common law
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002)
 * 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 five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time
 * Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts
 * Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]
 * NA
 * ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOM, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS
 * chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD
 * three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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 half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in these sectors in 2001-03. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together 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, which depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. In addition to tourism and banking, the government supports the development of a "third pillar," e-commerce.
 * purchasing power parity - $5.049 billion (2003 est.)
 * 0% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $16,700 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 3%
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 1.7% (2002 est.)
 * 156,000 (1999)
 * agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.)
 * 6.9% (2001 est.)
 * revenues: $918.5 million
 * citrus, vegetables; poultry
 * tourism, banking, e-commerce, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
 * NA (2002 est.)
 * 1.56 billion kWh (2001)
 * 1.451 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $617 million (2002 est.)
 * fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables
 * US 35%, Spain 9.6%, Germany 7.8%, France 7.6%, Poland 5.3%, Switzerland 4.8%, Peru 4.2%, Paraguay 4.2% (2003)
 * $1.614 billion (2002 est.)
 * machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals
 * US 20.8%, South Korea 17.4%, Italy 11.4%, France 9.1%, Brazil 7.5%, Japan 5.6%, Venezuela 5.3% (2003)
 * $308.5 million (2002)
 * $9.8 million (1995)
 * Bahamian dollar (BSD)
 * BSD
 * Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1 (1999)
 * 1 July - 30 June
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 131,700 (2003)
 * 121,800 (2002)
 * general assessment: modern facilities
 * AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
 * 215,000 (1997)
 * 2 (2004)
 * 67,000 (1997)
 * .bs
 * 302 (2003)
 * 19 (2000)
 * 84,000 (2003)
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!| Highways: paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: by type: bulk 165, cargo 188, chemical tanker 45, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 17, container 97, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large load carrier 4, passenger 108, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 163, refrigerated cargo 133, roll on/roll off 34, short-sea/passenger 18, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 20 foreign-owned: Algeria 1, Australia 7, Belgium 14, Bermuda 1, Canada 4, Chile 1, China 4, Croatia 1, Cuba 3, Cyprus 14, Denmark 49, Estonia 1, Faroe Islands 1, Finland 9, France 21, Germany 13, Gibraltar 1, Greece 163, Hong Kong 9, India 1, Indonesia 3, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 7, Japan 35, Kenya 2, South Korea 1, Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malaysia 11, Malta 1, Monaco 68, Netherlands 29, New Zealand 1, Norway 231, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 14, Reunion 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, Spain 6, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2 registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.) !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.) !| Heliports:
 * total: 2,693 km
 * Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau
 * total: 1,035 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,631,252 GRT/43,025,977 DWT
 * 63 (2003 est.)
 * total: 29
 * total: 34
 * 1 (2003 est.)
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Royal Bahamas Defense Force (including Coast Guard)
 * 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2001)
 * NA
 * NA
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