Airports [time series]

59 total, 57 usable; 31 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 25 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

9 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel

Merchant marine [time series]

533 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,684,123 GRT/19,574,532 DWT; includes 26 passenger, 15 short-sea passenger, 121 cargo, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo, 16 container, 6 car carrier, 123 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 19 combination ore/oil, 29 chemical tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 86 bulk, 3 combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry

Ports [time series]

Freeport, Nassau

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables;1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Royal Bahamas Defense Force (a coast guard element only), Royal Bahamas Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

NA

Military manpower [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for less than 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal products--citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $42 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $344 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $555 million; expenditures $702 million, including capital expenditures of $138 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Bahamian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Electricity [time series]

368,000 kW capacity; 857 million kWh produced, 3,470 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$733 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish; partners--US 90%, UK 10%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.5 billion (September 1988)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.4 billion, per capita $9,875; real growth rate 2.0% (1988 est.)

Imports [time series]

$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels; partners--Iran 30%, Nigeria 20%, US 10%, EC 10%, Gabon 10%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.1% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or 40% of the local work force. The economy has boomed in recent years, aided by a steady annual increase in the number of tourists. The per capita GDP of over $9,800 is one of the highest in the region.

Unemployment rate (Unemployment) [time series]

12% (1986)

Climate [time series]

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline [time series]

3,542 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Connecticut

Continental shelf [time series]

200 meters or to depth of exploitation;

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood damage

Exclusive fishing zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 32% forest and woodland; 67% other

Natural resources [time series]

salt, aragonite, timber

Note [time series]

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

Terrain [time series]

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

3 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

13,940 km2; land area: 10,070 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

21 districts; Abaco, Acklins Island, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Biminis, Cat Island, Cay Lobos, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Harbour Island, Inagua, Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana, New Providence, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, Spanish Wells

Capital [time series]

Nassau

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

none known

Constitution [time series]

10 July 1973

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Margaret E. MCDONALD; Chancery at Suite 865, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 944-3390; there are Bahamian Consulates General in Miami and New York; US--Ambassador Chic HECHT; Embassy at Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau (mailing address is P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau); telephone (809) 322-1181 or 328-2206

Executive branch [time series]

British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

10 July 1973 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Acting Governor General Sir Henry TAYLOR (since 26 June 1988); Head of Government--Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since 16 January 1967)

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, Commonwealth, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party headed by Lionel Carey; Trade Union Congress (TUC), headed by Arlington Miller

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. Pindling; Free National Movement (FNM), Cecil Wallace-Whitfield

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 House of Assembly--last held 19 June 1987 (next to be held by June 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(49 total) PLP 31, FNM 16, independents 2

Government type (Type) [time series]

commonwealth

Birth rate [time series]

17 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

85% black, 15% white

Infant mortality rate [time series]

21 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

132,600; 30% government, 25% hotels and restaurants, 10% business services, 5% agriculture (1986)

Languages (Language) [time series]

English; some Creole among Haitian immigrants

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

68 years male, 75 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

95% (1986)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Bahamian(s); adjective--Bahamian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

25% of labor force

Population [time series]

246,491 (July 1990), growth rate 1.2% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Baptist 29%, Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 22%, smaller groups of other Protestants, Greek Orthodox, and Jews

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.9 children born/woman (1990)

Bahamas, The