The Bahamas
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchyIndependence 10 July 1973 (from the UK)
The Bahamas as the 2016 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 154 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Because of its location, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
Geography
Chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
19 fieldsLand useshare of 13,880 sq km
Population - distribution
most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located
Environment - international agreements
- 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
Geography - note
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
People and Society
31 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2016 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2016 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(2010 est.)
Population distribution
most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located
Sex ratio
- 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:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.81 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.62 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 8 May 2012)
22 fieldsLegislature, 38 seats, elected 7 May 2012one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Commonwealth of The Bahamas
- conventional short form:
- The Bahamas
- etymology:
- name derives from the Spanish "baha mar," meaning "shallow sea," which describes the shallow waters of the Bahama Banks
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital
- 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
Administrative divisions
31 districts; Acklins Islands, Berry Islands, Bimini, Black Point, Cat Island, Central Abaco, Central Andros, Central Eleuthera, City of Freeport, Crooked Island and Long Cay, East Grand Bahama, Exuma, Grand Cay, Harbour Island, Hope Town, Inagua, Long Island, Mangrove Cay, Mayaguana, Moore's Island, North Abaco, North Andros, North Eleuthera, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Abaco, South Andros, South Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, West Grand Bahama
Constitution
- previous 1964 (preindependence);
- latest adopted 20 June 1973, effective 10 July 1973;
- amended many times, last in 2016 (2016)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of The Bahamas
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 6-9 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Marguerite PINDLING (since 8 July 2014)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 8 May 2012)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet appointed by governor general on recommendation of prime minister
- elections/appointments:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- governor general appointed by the monarch;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general;
- the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister
Legislative branch
- description:
- 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 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (38 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms);
- note - 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 - PLP 48.6%, FNM 42.1%, DNA 8.5%, other.8%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 9
Judicial branch
- highest resident court(s):
- Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, organized in 3-member panels);
- Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 9 justices – as of 2015)
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 president and Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition party;
- other Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor general upon recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, a 5-member body headed by the chief justice;
- Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 68, but can be extended until age 70;
- Supreme Court justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement normally at age 65, but can be extended until age 67
- subordinate courts:
- Industrial Tribunal;
- Stipendiary and Magistrates' Courts;
- Family Island Administrators
Political parties and leaders
- Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert MINNIS]
- Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]
- Democratic National Alliance [Branville MCCARTNEY]
International organization participation
ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- 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
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Lisa A. JOHNSON (since 9 July 2014
- 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
Flag description
- 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
National symbol(s)
blue marlin, flamingo, Yellow Elder flower; national colors: aquamarine, yellow, black
National anthem
- name:
- "March On, Bahamaland!"
- lyrics/music:
- Timothy GIBSON
note: adopted 1973; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)
Economy
The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking.
38 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2015 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force.
Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 35% of GDP. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than one 10th of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors.
The economy of The Bahamas shrank at an average pace of 0.8% annually between 2007 and 2011, and tourism, financial services, and construction - pillars of the national economy - remain subdued. Conditions are improving in the tourism sector, however, due to steady foreign investment led activity. New resort and marina developments are likely to provide sustained employment opportunities.
Gross national saving
11.9% of GDP (2015 est.) · 9.2% of GDP (2014 est.) · 10.1% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 150
Industries
tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals
Central bank discount rate
4.5% (1 January 2014) · 4.5% (31 December 2012) country comparison to the world: 82
Commercial bank prime lending rate
4.8% (31 December 2015 est.) · 4.75% (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 143
Stock of narrow money
$2.051 million (31 December 2015 est.) · $1.996 million (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Stock of broad money
$6.453 billion (31 December 2014 est.) · $6.076 billion (31 December 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Stock of domestic credit
$9.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.) · $8.825 million (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 107
Current account balance
-$1.021 billion (2015 est.) · -$1.898 billion (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Imports - commodities
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$895.5 million (31 December 2015 est.) · $874.3 million (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 132
Debt - external
$17.56 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $16.35 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Exchange rates
Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2015 est.) · 1 (2014 est.) · 1 (2013 est.) · 1 (2012 est.) · 1 (2011 est.)
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2016)
Installed generating capacity, 600,000 kW(2014 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
4.1 million Mt (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(July 2015 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- modern facilities
- domestic:
- totally automatic system;
- highly developed;
- the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links all of the major islands;
- Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) privatized in 2011, but the government reacquired 51% share in 2014
- 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 (2015)
Broadcast media
- 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)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 4; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 16
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 587,516
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 172,730 mt-km (2015)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 1,160
- by type:
- barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 238, cargo 170, carrier 2, chemical tanker 87, combination ore/oil 8, container 57, liquefied gas 71, passenger 102, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 225, refrigerated cargo 97, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 61
- foreign-owned:
- 1,069 (Angola 6, Australia 1, Belgium 6, Bermuda 15, Brazil 1, Canada 96, Croatia 1, Cyprus 23, Denmark 69, Finland 8, France 15, Germany 30, Greece 225, Guernsey 6, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Ireland 3, Italy 1, Japan 88, Jordan 2, Kuwait 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 8, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 23, Nigeria 2, Norway 186, Poland 34, Saudi Arabia 16, Singapore 7, South Korea 1, Spain 6, Sweden 11, Switzerland 1, Thailand 4, Turkey 3, UAE 23, UK 18, US 109)
- registered in other countries:
- 6 (Panama 6) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 10
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
- container port(s) (TEUs):
- Freeport (1,116,272)(2011)
- cruise port(s):
- Nassau
Military and Security
Royal Bahamas Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2011)
2 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2012)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
disagrees with the US on the alignment of the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Bahamas, The.” The World Factbook 2016. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/bahamas/2016.