CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 1992 via the Libraries of the Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis Match 25 DB Rec# - 72,738 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 019 Title :Vital Statistics - THE BAHAMAS Data type :TEXT End year :1993 Date of record:01/22/1993 Country : | BAHAMAS Text : THE BAHAMAS GEOGRAPHY Total area: 13,940 km2 Land area: 10,070 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Connecticut Land boundaries: none 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 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 NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest and woodland 32%; other 67% Environment: subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood damage Note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain PEOPLE Population: 255,811 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992) Birth rate: 19 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1992) 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% (1980) Languages: English; some Creole among Haitian immigrants Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 89%) age 15 and over but definition of literacy not Labor force: 127,400; government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services Organized labor: 25% of labor force GOVERNMENT Long-form name: The Commonwealth of The Bahamas Type: commonwealth Capital: Nassau Administrative divisions: 21 districts; Abaco, Acklins Island, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Independence: 10 July 1973 (from UK) Constitution: 10 July 1973 Legal system: based on English common law National holiday: National Day, 10 July (1973) Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Head of Government: Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since 16 January 1967) Political parties and leaders: Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National Suffrage: universal at age 18 House of Assembly: last held 19 June 1987 (next to be held by NA June 1992); Other political or pressure groups: Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party headed Member of: ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret E. McDONALD; Chancery at 2220 Massachusetts US: Ambassador Chic HECHT; Embassy at Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau (mailing address is 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 ECONOMY Overview: The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides about 50% 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, the per capita GDP of $9,900 is one of the highest in the region. GDP: purchasing power equivalent--$2.5 billion, per capita $9,900; real growth rate 1.0% (1990 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.3% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1991) Budget: revenues $627.5 million; expenditures $727.5 million, including capital expenditures of $100 million (1992, projected) Exports: $306 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.); commodities: pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish; partners: US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4% Imports: $1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.); commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels; partners: US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11% External debt: $1.2 billion (December 1990) Industrial production: growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP Electricity: 368,000 kw capacity; 857 million kWh produced 3,339 kWh per capita Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe Agriculture: accounts for less than 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1.0 million; Western Currency: Bahamian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents Exchange rates: Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel Ports: Freeport, Nassau Merchant marine: 778 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,129,173 GRT/30,002,421 DWT; Civil air: 11 major transport aircraft Airports: 59 total, 54 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with Telecommunications: highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system; DEFENSE FORCES Branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Manpower availability: males 15-49, 68,020; NA fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion--$65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- These files extracted from Dept. of Commerce's National Trade Databank (NTDB) CD-ROM, SuDoc no. C 1.88:993/11 using software developed by RCM of the Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries, 12/1/1993 :/ WF930024