Environment - current issues: coral reef decay
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
@The Bahamas:People
Population: 275,941 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 39,280; female 38,755) 15-64 years: 66% (male 89,483; female 93,479) 65 years and over : 6% (male 6,209; female 8,735) (July 1997 est.)
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.)