The Bahamas

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Bahamian(s)

adjective:

Bahamian

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.79 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.62 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

conventional long form:

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

conventional short form:

The Bahamas

name:

Nassau

geographic coordinates:

25 05 N, 77 21 W

time difference:

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

• previous 1964 (preindependence);
• latest adopted 20 June 1973, effective 10 July 1973;
• amended many times, last in 2002;
• note - in 2012, a constitutional commission was appointed to review and recommend constitutional changes (2013)

chief of state:

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Arthur A. FOULKES (since 14 April 2010)

head of government:

Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 8 May 2012)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• the monarchy 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

• bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (38 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms);
• the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time

elections:

last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held by May 2017)

election results:

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLP 30, FNM 8

highest court(s):

The Bahamas Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, sitting in panels of 3 justices);

• note - as of 2008, the Bahamas was not a party to the agreement establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice as the highest appellate court for the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM);
• the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) serves as the final court of appeal for the Bahamas

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Appeal justices appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister and in consultation with the Judicial and Legal Services Commission;
• justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 68-70

subordinate courts:

• Supreme Court;
• Industrial Tribunal;
• Stipendiary and Magistrates Courts;
• Family Island Administrators

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dr. Eugene Glenwood NEWRY (since 3 December 2013)

chancery:

2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 319-2660

FAX:

[1] (202) 319-2668

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Miami, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires John DINKELMAN (since November 2011)

embassy:

42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence

mailing address:

local or express mail address:

P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370

telephone:

[1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)

FAX:

[1] (242) 328-2206

• three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side;
• the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea;
• black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea

agriculture:

5%

industry:

5%

tourism:

50%

other services:

40% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%:

1%

highest 10%:

22% (2007 est.)

general assessment:

modern facilities

domestic:

• totally automatic system;
• highly developed;
• the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband Internet services

international:

• country code - 1-242;
• landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
• satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)

• 2 TV stations operated by government-owned, commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB);
• multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available;
• about 15 radio stations operating with BCB operating a multi-channel radio broadcasting network alongside privately owned radio stations (2007)

total:

2,700 km

country comparison to the world: 170

paved:

1,620 km

unpaved:

1,080 km (2011)

major seaport(s):

Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point

container port(s) (TEUs):

Freeport (1,116,272)(2011)

cruise port(s):

Nassau

males age 16-49:

63,429

females age 16-49:

64,645 (2010 est.)

male:

2,829

female:

2,750 (2010 est.)