The Bahamas

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas

commonwealthIndependence 10 July 1973 (from UK)

The Bahamas as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 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

Locationin the western North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northwest of

Populationas each edition published it

268,726 people July 1993 est. · 246,491 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.62% 1993 est. · 1.08% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 27 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.02 years 1993 est. · 76.7 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.9 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

31.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 21 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$10,200 1991 est. · $36,200 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1991 · 3.4% in 2025

Geography

In the western North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northwest of | Cuba

14 fields

Land useshare of 13,940 km2

arable land 1%meadows and pastures 0%forest and woodland 32%other 67%permanent crops 0% in all

Area

13,940km2

land area: 10,070 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut

Coastline

3,542km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontinental shelf: 200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitationexclusive fishing zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 3 nm

Location

in the western North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northwest of Cuba

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Climate

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

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

268,726

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.62% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

18.97Death

5.15Net migration

2.42

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years72.02

68.19 · 75.96

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy90%

90% · 89%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963)

Religions

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

Labor force

127,400

by occupation: government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1989)

Infant mortality rate

31.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Bahamian(s) adjective:: Bahamian

Languages

English, Creole, among Haitian immigrants

Government

Commonwealth

21 fields

Names

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

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

Independence

10 July 1973 (from UK)

Constitution

10 July 1973

Legal system

based on English common law

National holiday

National Day, 10 July (1973)

Political parties and leaders

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING;
Free National Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM;
Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNPS), Lionel CAREY, chairman;
People's Democratic Force (PDF), Fred MITCHELL

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

House of Assembly:: last held 19 August 1992 (next to be held by August 1997);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (49 total) FNM 32, PLP 17

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Hubert INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992)

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 in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON
chancery:: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 319-2660
consulates general:: Miami and New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Chic HECHT
embassy:: Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address:: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau
telephone:: (809) 322-1181 or 328-2206
FAX:: (809) 328-7838

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.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$10,200

(1991 est.)

Real growth rate

(1991)industrial production growth: growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

7.2%

(1991)

Unemployment rate

16%

(1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$627.5 millionExpenditures

$727.5 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $100 million (1992 est.)

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, per capita GDP is one of the highest in the region.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.6 billion (1991 est.)

Exports

$306 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)

commodities:: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish
partners:: US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%

Imports

$1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)

commodities:: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels, crude oil
partners:: US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%

External debt

$1.2 billion (December 1990)

Electricity

424,000 kW capacity; 929 million kWh produced, 3,599 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 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 (FY85-89), $1.0 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million

Currency

1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Merchant marine, 853 ships by type

passenger 53short-sea passenger 18cargo 159roll-on/roll-off cargo 40container 48vehicle carrier 6oil tanker 181liquefied gas 14combination ore/oil 22chemical tanker 43specialized tanker 1bulk 159combination bulk 7refrigerated cargo; note-a flag of convenience registry 102853 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,136,078 GRT/33,119,750 DWT