Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

24 15 N, 76 00 W

Central America and the Caribbean

total: 13,880 sq km
country comparison to the world: 161
land: 10,010 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km

slightly smaller than Connecticut

0 km

3,542 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m

salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

arable land: 0.65%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.06% (2011)

10 sq km (2003)

0.02 cu km (2011)

hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian

black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Protestant 67.6% (Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%), Roman Catholic 13.5%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)

319,031 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

0-14 years: 23.6% (male 38,174/female 37,066)
15-24 years: 17.5% (male 28,306/female 27,562)
25-54 years: 44.1% (male 70,093/female 70,608)
55-64 years: 8.1% (male 11,371/female 14,355)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 8,233/female 13,263) (2013 est.)

total dependency ratio: 40.9 %
youth dependency ratio: 30 %
elderly dependency ratio: 10.8 %
potential support ratio: 9.2 (2013)

total: 30.8 years
male: 29.7 years
female: 32 years (2013 est.)

0.89% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127

15.81 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

6.96 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77

urban population: 84% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

NASSAU (capital) 254,000 (2011)

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.79 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

47 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 112

total: 12.89 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 126
male: 12.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

total population: 71.69 years
country comparison to the world: 141
male: 69.25 years
female: 74.19 years (2013 est.)

1.97 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132

7.7% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 67

2.82 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

3.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

3.1% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24

6,600 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114

fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

34.7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 13

NA

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2006)

total: 18.9%
country comparison to the world: 63
male: 16.7%
female: 21.7% (2007)

conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas

constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm

name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

31 districts; Acklins Islands, Berry Islands, Bimini, Black Point, Cat Island, Central Abaco, Central Andros, Central Eleuthera, City of Freeport, Crooked Island and Long Cay, East Grand Bahama, Exuma, Grand Cay, Harbour Island, Hope Town, Inagua, Long Island, Mangrove Cay, Mayaguana, Moore's Island, North Abaco, North Andros, North Eleuthera, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, South Abaco, South Andros, South Eleuthera, Spanish Wells, West Grand Bahama

10 July 1973 (from the UK)

Independence Day, 10 July (1973)

previous 1964 (preindependence); latest adopted 20 June 1973, effective 10 July 1973; amended many times, last in 2002; note - in 2012, a constitutional commission was appointed to review and recommend constitutional changes (2013)

common law system based on the English model

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Sir Arthur A. FOULKES (since 14 April 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 8 May 2012)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation

elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (38 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held on 7 May 2012 (next to be held by May 2017)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PLP 30, FNM 8

highest court(s): The Bahamas Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 justices, sitting in panels of 3 justices)
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal justices appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister and in consultation with the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 68-70
subordinate courts: Supreme Court; Industrial Tribunal; Stipendiary and Magistrates Courts; Family Island Administrators

Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert MINNIS]

Friends of the Environment
other: trade unions

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Eugene Glenwood NEWRY (since 3 December 2013)
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Miami, New York

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires John DINKELMAN (since November 2011)
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
FAX: [1] (242) 328-2206

three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea

blue marlin; flamingo

name: "March On, Bahamaland!"
lyrics/music: Timothy GIBSON
note: adopted 1973; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the Queen" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute less than a 10th of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. The economy of The Bahamas shrank at an average pace of 0.8% annually between 2007-11, and tourism, financial services, and construction - pillars of the national economy - remained weak. These challenges, coupled with a growing public debt, increases in government expenditures, a narrow revenue base, and heavy dependence on customs and property taxes have led to prospects of limited growth for The Bahamas.

$11.04 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
note: data are in 2012 US dollars

$8.039 billion (2012 est.)

1.8% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143

$31,300 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
note: data are in 2012 US dollars

household consumption: 70.1%
government consumption: 14.9%
investment in fixed capital: 31.9%
investment in inventories: 1.3%
exports of goods and services: 44.8%
imports of goods and services: -62.9%

agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 7.2%
services: 90.7% (2012 est.)

citrus, vegetables; poultry

tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals

NA%

192,200 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 173

agriculture: 5%
industry: 5%
tourism: 50%
other services: 40% (2005 est.)

14% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

9.3% (2004)

lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 22% (2007 est.)

revenues: $1.54 billion
expenditures: $2.04 billion (2012 est.)

19.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

-6.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

1 July - 30 June

2% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

4.5% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

4.75% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

$1.575 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132

$6.482 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

$8.653 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

$2.78 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$-1.424 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

$984 million (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

crawfish, aragonite, crude salt, polystyrene products

Singapore 25.1%, US 20.6%, Dominican Republic 12.9%, Ecuador 9.4%, Canada 5.8%, Switzerland 4.1%, China 4.1% (2012)

$3.386 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141

machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals

US 30.1%, India 20.3%, Singapore 8.7%, South Korea 6.8%, China 5%, Colombia 4.5%, Canada 4.2% (2012)

$846.9 million (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

$16.35 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83

Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar -

1.93 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

1.795 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164

0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161

493,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139

100% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159

0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 107

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

36,300 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112

41,770 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63

64,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103

0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64

0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159

0 cu m (1 January 2009 es)
country comparison to the world: 114

4.734 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128

137,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 141

254,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 176

general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband Internet services
international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)

2 TV stations operated by government-owned, commercially run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB); multi-channel cable TV subscription service is available; about 15 radio stations operating with BCB operating a multi-channel radio broadcasting network alongside privately owned radio stations (2007)

.bs

20,661 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 117

115,800 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 156

61 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 79

total: 24
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013)

total: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 16
under 914 m:

1 (2013)

total: 2,700 km
country comparison to the world: 170
paved: 1,620 km
unpaved: 1,080 km (2011)

total: 1,160
country comparison to the world: 10
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 238, cargo 170, carrier 2, chemical tanker 87, combination ore/oil 8, container 57, liquefied gas 71, passenger 102, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 225, refrigerated cargo 97, roll on/roll off 13, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 61
foreign-owned: 1,063 (Angola 6, Australia 1, Belgium 6, Bermuda 15, Brazil 1, Canada 96, Croatia 1, Cyprus 23, Denmark 69, Finland 8, France 15, Germany 30, Greece 225, Guernsey 6, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Ireland 3, Italy 1, Japan 88, Jordan 2, Kuwait 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 8, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 23, Nigeria 2, Norway 186, Poland 34, Saudi Arabia 16, Singapore 7, South Korea 1, Spain 6, Sweden 11, Switzerland 1, Thailand 4, Turkey 3, UAE 23, UK 18, US 109)
registered in other countries: 6 (Panama 6) (2010)

major seaport(s): Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
container port(s) (TEUs): Freeport (1,116,272)(2011)
cruise port(s): Nassau

Royal Bahamas Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2011)

18 years of age for voluntary male and female service; no conscription (2012)

males age 16-49: 85,568 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49: 63,429
females age 16-49: 64,645 (2010 est.)

male: 2,829
female: 2,750 (2010 est.)

0.6% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 157

disagrees with the US on the alignment of the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary