Population growth rate: 1.41% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 21.47 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.45 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: −1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 19.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.75 years male: 70.36 years female : 77.2 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.36 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups: 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: definition: age 15 and over can read and write but definition of literacy not available total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)
@The Bahamas:Government
Country name: conventional long form : Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas
Data code: BF
Government type: commonwealth
National 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, Nicholls Town 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 of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Orville TURNQUEST (since 2 January 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Frank WATSON (since December 1994) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections : none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general appointed by the queen; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for a five-year term) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FNM 34, PLP 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry
CHRISTIE]; Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Arlington Griffith BUTLER chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone : [1] (202) 319–2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319–2668 consulate(s) general : Miami and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sidney WILLIAMS embassy: Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; American Embassy, Nassau, P.O. Box 9009, Miami, FL 33159; Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521–3370 (pouch) telephone: [1] (242) 322–1181, 328–2206 FAX: [1] (242) 328–7838
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
Economy
Economy - overview: The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs 40% of the archipelago's labor force. A slowdown in the expansion of the tourism sector - especially stopover travel from Europe - led to a reduction in the country's GDP growth rate in 1995, down to an estimated 2% from 3.5% in 1994. The construction sector benefited from hotel rehabilitation and the government's ongoing housing development program. Earnings from exports of vegetable and citrus production have been decreasing since 1993 but were expected to increase in 1996 due to storm damage to crops in Florida. Overall growth prospects in the short run will depend heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector and continued income growth in the US, which accounts for the majority of tourist visits.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $4.8 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $18,700 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 3% industry: 6% services: 91% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.1% (1995)
Labor force: total: 136,900 (1993) by occupation : government 30%, tourism 40%, business services 10%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1995 est.)
Budget: revenues: $665 million expenditures: $725 million, including capital expenditures of $94 million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 267,000 kW (1993)
Electricity - production: 874 million kWh (1993)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 2,717 kWh (1993)
Agriculture - products: citrus, vegetables; poultry
Exports: total value: $267.5 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products partners: US 24%, Spain 14%, UK 7%, Norway 7%, France 6%, Italy 5% (1995 est.)
Imports: total value : $1.17 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics partners : US 29%, Finland 10%, Iran 10%, Denmark 8%
Debt - external: $393 million (1995)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1 - 1.00 (February 1997; fixed rate)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@The Bahamas:Communications
Telephones: 119,000 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: domestic : totally automatic system; highly developed international: