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:
(202) 319-2660
FAX:
(202) 319-2668
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:
(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
@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)
@Bahrain, Geography
Location:
Middle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and
Qatar
Map references:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
620 sq km
land area:
620 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime
boundary with Qatar
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
2%
meadows and pastures:
6%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
90%
Irrigated land:
10 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land,
periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to
coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills
and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and
distribution stations; no surface water resources; groundwater and sea
water are the only sources for all water needs
natural hazards:
periods of drought, dust storms
international agreements:
party to - Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location
in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's petroleum must
transit to reach open ocean
@Bahrain, People