The Learning Curve/The Learning Curve (Weird Science, 1996).iso/geography/cia/text/world94.bahamas

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The Bahamas, Geography

Location:
  Caribbean, 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
Area:
total area:
  13,940 sq km
land area:
  10,070 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  3,542 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  3 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain:
  long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Natural resources:
  salt, aragonite, timber
Land use:
arable land:
  1%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  0%
forest and woodland:
  32%
other:
  67%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive
  flood and wind damage
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
  Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
Note:
  strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

The Bahamas, People

Population:
  273,055 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.57% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  18.86 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  5.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  33.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  71.52 years
male:
  67.66 years
female:
  75.49 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.88 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Bahamian(s)
adjective:
  Bahamian
Ethnic divisions:
  black 85%, white 15%
Religions:
  Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of
  God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Languages:
  English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963 est.)
total population:
  90%
male:
  90%
female:
  89%
Labor force:
  127,400
by occupation:
  government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%,
  agriculture 5% (1989)

The Bahamas, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
   Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form:
  The Bahamas
Digraph:
  BF
Type:
  commonwealth
Capital:
  Nassau
Administrative divisions:
  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)
National holiday:
  National Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution:
  10 July 1973
Legal system:
  based on English common law
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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 A. INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992); Deputy Prime
  Minister Orville A. TURNQUEST (since 19 August 1992)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the governor on the prime minister's
  recommendation
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament
Senate:
  a 16-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Assembly:
  elections 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
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National
  Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM;
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:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lino GUTIERREZ
embassy:
  Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address:
  P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau
telephone:
  [phone] or 328-2206
FAX:
  [phone]
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine
  with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side

The Bahamas, Economy

Overview:
  The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation whose economy is based
  primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides
  about 40% 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 - purchasing power equivalent - $4.4 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2% (1991)
National product per capita:
  $16,500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  6.5% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  5.7% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $628.5 million
expenditures:
  $574 million, including capital expenditures of $100 million (1992
  est.)
Exports:
  $310 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish
partners:
  US 51%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5%
Imports:
  $1.2 billion (f.o.b,,1992)
commodities:
  foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels, crude oil
partners:
  US 32%, Japan 17%, Nigeria 12%, Denmark 7%, Norway 6%
External debt:
  $1.2 billion (December 1990)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  424,000 kW
production:
  929 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  3,599 kWh (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 and marijuana bound for US and Europe;
  also money-laundering center
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1 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

The Bahamas, Communications

Highways:
total:
  2,400 km
paved:
  1,350 km
unpaved:
  gravel 1,050 km
Ports:
  Freeport, Nassau
Merchant marine:
  879 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,424,439 GRT/33,330,160 DWT,
  bulk 167, cargo 148, chemical tanker 43, combination bulk 8,
  combination ore/oil 20, container 48, liquefied gas 18, oil tanker
  177, passenger 54, refrigerated cargo 132, roll-on/roll-off cargo 41,
  short-sea passenger 16, vehicle carrier 7
note:
  a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
total:
  60
usable:
  55
with permanent-surface runways:
  31
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  26
Telecommunications:
  highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system;
  tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; broadcast
  stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic
  Ocean INTELSAT earth station

The Bahamas, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police
  Force
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)