*Azerbaijan, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Air Force, Navy, National Guard, Security Forces (internal and border
troops)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,842,917; fit for military service 1,497,640; reach
military age (18) annually 66,928 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
2,848 million rubles, NA% of GDP (1992 est.); note - conversion of the
military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could
produce misleading results
*The Bahamas, Geography
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
Area:
total area:
13,940 km2
land area:
10,070 km2
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 km2
Environment:
subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood
damage
Note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
*The Bahamas, People
Population:
268,726 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.62% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
18.97 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
5.15 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
31.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
72.02 years
male:
68.19 years
female:
75.96 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (1993 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)
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:
The 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)
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
*The Bahamas, Government
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