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National Map
Of |
Bahamas |
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National Flag
Of |
Bahamas |
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Flag Description:
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and
aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the
hoist side
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Bahamas |
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National Anthem
Of |
Bahamas |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Bahamas, The |
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Background:
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Arawak
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 have
prospered through tourism and 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 its
territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into
the US. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean,
southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba |
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Geographic coordinates:
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24 15 N,
76 00 W |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total:
13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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3,542 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical
marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
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Terrain:
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long,
flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
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Natural resources:
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salt,
aragonite, timber, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 0.8%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 98.8% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive
flood and wind damage |
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Environment - current issues:
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coral
reef decay; solid waste disposal |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
of which 30 are inhabited |
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Population:
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301,790
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 and death rates, lower population and
growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be
expected (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 27.9% (male 42,142/female 42,096)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 97,865/female 101,047)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 7,616/female
11,024) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
27.55 years
male: 26.78 years
female: 28.34 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.67%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.87
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.97
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-2.18
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
25.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 31.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 65.54 years
male: 62.11 years
female: 69.04 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.2
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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3% (2003
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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5,600
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
200 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
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Religions:
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Baptist
35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal
8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other
Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8%
(2000 census) |
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Languages:
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English
(official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
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Government type:
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constitutional parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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Nassau
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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10 July
1973 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 10 July (1973) |
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Constitution:
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10 July
1973 |
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Legal system:
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based on
English common law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Governor General Dame Ivy DUMONT
(since NA May 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE
(since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia
PRATT (since 7 May 2002)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor
general on the prime minister's recommendation
elections: none; the monarch 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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 five-year
terms) and the House of Assembly (40 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 1 May 2002 (next to be held
by May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP
50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party -
PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Free
National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive
Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, C,
Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOM, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS
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 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau
mailing address: local or express mail address:
P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; Department of State, 3370
Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after
hours)
FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
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Flag description:
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three
equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and
aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on
the hoist side |
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Economy - overview:
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The
Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy
heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking.
Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and
directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's
labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a
boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and
residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years,
but the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of 11
September 2001 held back growth in these sectors in
2001-03. Financial services constitute the second-most
important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for
about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the
government enacted new regulations on the financial
sector, many international businesses have left The
Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together
contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little
growth, despite government incentives aimed at those
sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest
heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which
depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80%
of the visitors. In addition to tourism and banking, the
government supports the development of a "third pillar,"
e-commerce. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$5.685
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$5.924
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2005
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $18,800 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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156,000
(1999) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services
40% (1999 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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10.2%
(2004 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: 27% (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.2%
(Year ending September 2004) (Year ending September
2004) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1 billion
expenditures: $1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $106.7 million (FY03/04) |
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Agriculture - products:
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citrus,
vegetables; poultry |
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Industries:
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tourism,
banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum,
aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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1.81
billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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1.683
billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2003) |
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Oil - consumption:
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23,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Exports:
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$1.507
billion (2004 est.) |
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Exports - partners:
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US 40.3%,
Poland 13.3%, Spain 11.7%, Germany 5.9%, France 4.3%
(2004) |
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Imports:
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$5.806
billion (2004 est.) |
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Imports - partners:
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US 22.4%,
South Korea 18.9%, Brazil 9.2%, Japan 7.9%, Italy 7.8%,
Venezuela 6.6% (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$308.5
million (2002) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$9.8
million (1995) |
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Currency (code):
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Bahamian
dollar (BSD) |
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Exchange rates:
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Bahamian
dollars per US dollar - NA (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1
(2002), 1 (2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July -
30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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131,700
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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121,800
(2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly
developed
international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric
scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial
submarine cables; satellite earth station - 2 (2005)
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 3, FM
5, shortwave 0 (2004) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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2 (2004)
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Internet country code:
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.bs |
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Internet hosts:
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302
(2003) |
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Internet users:
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84,000
(2003) |
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Airports:
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63 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
30
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2005 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 22 (2005 est.) |
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Heliports:
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1 (2005
est.) |
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Roadways:
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total:
2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km
unpaved: 1,147 km (1999) |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1,119
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 183, cargo
259, chemical tanker 54, combination ore/oil 17,
container 74, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2,
passenger 116, passenger/cargo 40, petroleum tanker 168,
refrigerated cargo 130, roll on/roll off 20, specialized
tanker 2, vehicle carrier 24
foreign-owned: 968 (Angola 4, Australia 4,
Belgium 17, Canada 9, China 3, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus
13, Denmark 18, Estonia 1, Finland 7, France 28, Germany
15, Greece 194, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1,
Israel 1, Italy 7, Japan 49, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Latvia
1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 15, Netherlands 24, New Zealand
1, Nigeria 2, Norway 229, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia
2, Saudi Arabia 12, Serbia & Montenegro 2, Singapore 11,
Slovenia 1, South Korea 1, Spain 6, Sweden 9,
Switzerland 4, Thailand 1, Trinidad & Tobago 2, Turkey
7, UAE 12, United Kingdom 55, United States 154, Uruguay
2)
registered in other countries: 35 (2005) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Freeport,
Nassau, South Riding Point |
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Military branches:
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Royal
Bahamaian Defense Force (naval forces) (2004) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age (est.); no conscription (2001) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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NA |
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Disputes - international:
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have not
been able to agree on the alignment of a maritime
boundary with the US; continues to monitor and interdict
Haitian refugees fleeing economic privation and
political instability |
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for
US and Europe; offshore financial center |
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