Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

19 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.bs

Internet users [time series]

15,000 (2000)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios [time series]

215,000 (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: modern facilities 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) (1997)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

96,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

6,152 (1997)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

67,000 (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

citrus, vegetables; poultry

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Bahamian dollar (BSD)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

BSD

Debt - external [time series]

$385.8 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$9.8 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 3% in 1998, 6% in 1999, and 4.5% in 2000. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute only 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 sturdy growth in the US, which accounts for the majority of tourist visitors.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

1.362 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production [time series]

1.465 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates [time series]

Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar)

Exports [time series]

$376.8 million (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products

Exports - partners [time series]

US 22.3%, Switzerland 15.6%, UK 15%, Denmark 7.4% (1998)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

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

purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

4.5% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$1.73 billion (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics

Imports - partners [time series]

US 27.3%, Italy 26.5%, Japan 10%, Denmark 4.2% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.9% (2000 est.)

Labor force [time series]

156,000 (1999)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

9% (1998 est.)

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate [time series]

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Coastline [time series]

3,542 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, 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 [time series]

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Geography - note [time series]

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Terrain [time series]

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Nassau

Constitution [time series]

10 July 1973

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate J. Richard BLANKENSHIP 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 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

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

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

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

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

[1] (242) 356-0222

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

constitutional parliamentary democracy

Independence [time series]

10 July 1973 (from UK)

International organization participation [time series]

ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts

Legal system [time series]

based on English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

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) 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 [time series]

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

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

Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]

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

NA

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

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.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$20 million (FY95/96)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 29.43% (male 44,179; female 43,486) 15-64 years: 64.46% (male 94,329; female 97,674) 65 years and over: 6.11% (male 7,618; female 10,566) (2001 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

19.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate [time series]

7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

4.13% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

6,900 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

17.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages [time series]

English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.46 years male: 67.27 years female: 73.71 years (2001 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

Net migration rate [time series]

-2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population [time series]

297,852 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 2001 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.93% (2001 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.3 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Airports [time series]

65 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 29 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 23 (2000 est.)

Heliports [time series]

1 (2000 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 1,049 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,000,221 GRT/44,601,471 DWT ships by type: bulk 185, cargo 214, chemical tanker 36, combination bulk 15, combination ore/oil 22, container 66, liquefied gas 33, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 79, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 182, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 50, short-sea passenger 15, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 24 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Algeria 2, Australia 1, Austria 1, Bermuda 6, Belgium 14, Canada 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 2, Denmark 17, Finland 7, France 9, Germany 9, Greece 89, Hong Kong 7, Indonesia 2, India 1, Israel 4, Italy 8, Japan 23, Jamaica 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 2, Luxembourg 2, Monaco 15, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 16, Norway 139, Poland 3, Portugal 2, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 5, Singapore 12, Spain 7, Sweden 14, Syria 1, Switzerland 7, UAE 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, UK 67, Ukraine 3, US 50, British Virgin Islands 1, British Virgin Islands 1 (2000 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

none

Bahamas, The