The Bahamas

commonwealthIndependence 10 July 1973 (from UK)

The Bahamas as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalNassau

Area13,940 km2

Populationas each edition published it

252,110 people July 1991 · 246,491 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.62% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 27 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 72.02 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.2 children per woman 1991 · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

18 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 21 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $10,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

10 fields

Total area

13,940km2

land area: 10,070 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Coastline

3,542 km Continental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Land use

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

Environment

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

Note

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

People

14 fields

Population

252,110

(July 1991), growth rate 1.4% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

19Death

5Net migration

Religion(1980)

Baptist 32%Anglican 20%Roman Catholic 19%Methodist 6%Church of God 6%other Protestant 12%none or unknown 3%other 2% (1980)

Literacy

90%

(male 90%, female 89%) age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963 est.)

Language

English; some Creole among Haitian immigrants

Labor force

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

Government

Commonwealth

17 fields

House of Assembly, 49 seats, elected 19 June 1987one dot, one seat

PLP 32FNM 17

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

Independence

10 July 1973 (from UK)

Constitution

10 July 1973

Legal system

based on English common law

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

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

Judicial branch

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

Suffrage

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 32, FNM 17

Communists

none known

Other political or pressure groups

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

Member of

ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

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

Flag

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

Economy

The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$2.4billion

per capita $9,800; real growth rate 2.0% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

7.1%

(1990 est.)

Unemployment

11.7%

(1989)

External debt

$1.2billion

(December 1990)

Budget

Revenues

$1.03 billionExpenditures

$1.1 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $275 million (1990)

Overview

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 slackened in recent years, as the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, the per capita GDP of $9,800 is one of the highest in the region.

Exports

$300 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish;
partners--US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%

Imports

$1.23 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels;
partners--US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%

Industrial production

growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP

Electricity

368,000 kW capacity; 857 million kWh produced, 3,480 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-88), $1.0 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $345 million

Currency

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

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 636 ships by type

passenger 42short-sea passenger 16cargo 190roll-on/roll-off cargo 41container 23car carrier 5railroad carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 141liquefied gas 8combination ore/oil 15chemical tanker 33specialized tanker 1bulk 112combination bulk; note--a flag of convenience registry 8636 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,266,066 GRT/23,585,465 DWT

Airports, 59 total, 57 usable

permanent-surface runways

31runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m