Bahamas, The (2003) | Saint Pierre and Miquelon (2003) | |
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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 | none (territorial collectivity of France); note - there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are two communes - Saint Pierre, Miquelon at the second order |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 28.8% (male 42,799; female 42,730)
15-64 years: 65.4% (male 95,718; female 98,875) 65 years and over: 5.8% (male 7,092; female 10,263) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 25% (male 891; female 851)
15-64 years: 64.7% (male 2,306; female 2,210) 65 years and over: 10.3% (male 310; female 408) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | citrus, vegetables; poultry | vegetables; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish |
Airports | 64 (2002) | 2 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 30
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 22 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
total: 242 sq km
land: 242 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | First settled by the French in the early 17th century, the islands represent the sole remaining vestige of France's once vast North American possessions. |
Birth rate | 18.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 14.62 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $918.5 million
expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY 99/00) |
revenues: $70 million
expenditures: $60 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.) |
Capital | Nassau | Saint-Pierre |
Climate | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream | cold and wet, with much mist and fog; spring and autumn are windy |
Coastline | 3,542 km | 120 km |
Constitution | 10 July 1973 | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
conventional long form: Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
conventional short form: Saint Pierre and Miquelon local long form: Departement de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon local short form: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon |
Currency | Bahamian dollar (BSD) | euro (EUR) |
Death rate | 8.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6.74 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $371.6 million (2001) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | self-governing territorial collectivity of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Robert M. WITAJEWSKI
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 |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (territorial collectivity of France) |
Disputes - international | have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary with the US | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $9.8 million (1995) | approximately $60 million in annual grants from France |
Economy - overview | 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 2002. 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 most of the visitors. | The inhabitants have traditionally earned their livelihood by fishing and by servicing fishing fleets operating off the coast of Newfoundland. The economy has been declining, however, because of disputes with Canada over fishing quotas and a steady decline in the number of ships stopping at Saint Pierre. In 1992, an arbitration panel awarded the islands an exclusive economic zone of 12,348 sq km to settle a longstanding territorial dispute with Canada, although it represents only 25% of what France had sought. The islands are heavily subsidized by France to the great betterment of living standards. The government hopes an expansion of tourism will boost economic prospects. Recent test drilling for oil may pave the way for development of the energy sector. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.451 billion kWh (2001) | 39.08 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 1.56 billion kWh (2001) | 42.03 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morne de la Grande Montagne 240 m |
Environment - current issues | coral reef decay; solid waste disposal | recent test drilling for oil in waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon may bring future development that would impact the environment |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% | Basques and Bretons (French fishermen) |
Exchange rates | Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1 (1999), 1 (1998) | euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General 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 |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Claude VALLEIX (since 9 October 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Marc PLANTAGENEST (since NA) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held, first round - 21 April 2002, second round - 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the General Council is elected by the members of the council |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables | fish and fish products, soybeans, animal feed, mollusks and crustaceans, fox and mink pelts |
Exports - partners | US 39.1%, Germany 15.4%, Spain 10.8%, France 7.4%, Poland 4.6%, Switzerland 4.3% (2002) | US 33.3%, Zambia 30.3%, Ecuador 16.2%, France 5.1%, Canada 4%, Spain 4% (2002) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side | a yellow sailing ship facing the hoist side rides on a dark blue background with a black wave line under the ship; on the hoist side, a vertical band is divided into three parts: the top part (called ikkurina) is red with a green diagonal cross extending to the corners overlaid by a white cross dividing the rectangle into four sections; the middle part has a white background with an ermine pattern; the third part has a red background with two stylized yellow lions outlined in black, one above the other; these three heraldic arms represent settlement by colonists from the Basque Country (top), Brittany, and Normandy; the flag of France is used for official occasions |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $4.59 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $74 million - supplemented by annual payments from France of about $60 million (1996 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $15,300 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,000 (1996 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0.1% (2002 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 24 15 N, 76 00 W | 46 50 N, 56 20 W |
Geography - note | strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited | vegetation scanty |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 2,693 km
paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.) |
total: 114 km
paved: 69 km unpaved: 45 km |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center | - |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals | meat, clothing, fuel, electrical equipment, machinery, building materials |
Imports - partners | US 20.3%, South Korea 20.1%, Germany 11.5%, Norway 11.5%, Japan 10%, Italy 7.2% (2002) | Zambia 61.5%, France 21.8%, Canada 13% (2002) |
Independence | 10 July 1973 (from UK) | none (territorial collectivity of France; has been under French control since 1763) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | tourism, banking, e-commerce, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe | fish processing and supply base for fishing fleets; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 26.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 32.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 7.97 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.8% (2001 est.) | 2.1% (1991-96 average) |
International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | FZ, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 19 (2000) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts | Superior Tribunal of Appeals or Tribunal Superieur d'Appel |
Labor force | 156,000 (1999) | 3,261 (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | tourism 50%, other services 40%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1999 est.) | fishing 18%, industry (mainly fish-processing) 41%, services 41% (1996 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.6%
permanent crops: 0.4% other: 99% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 0% other: 86.96% (1998 est.) |
Languages | English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) | French (official) |
Legal system | based on English common law | French law with special adaptations for local conditions, such as housing and taxation |
Legislative branch | 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)
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 |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats - 15 from Saint Pierre and 4 from Miquelon; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: elections last held 19 and 26 March 2000 (next to be held NA April 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PS 12, PRG 2, UDF-RPR 5 note: Saint Pierre and Miquelon elect 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1; Saint Pierre and Miquelon also elects 1 seat to the French National Assembly; elections last held, first round - 9 June 2002, second round - 16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UDF 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 65.71 years
male: 62.3 years female: 69.18 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 78.11 years
male: 75.82 years female: 80.51 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (1982 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba | Northern North America, islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Newfoundland (Canada) |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | North America |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 1,090 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 33,065,778 GRT/46,202,085 DWT
ships by type: bulk 150, cargo 223, chemical tanker 45, combination bulk 12, combination ore/oil 18, container 108, liquefied gas 26, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 8, passenger 102, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 178, refrigerated cargo 135, roll on/roll off 40, short-sea passenger 17, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 23 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Angola 1, Argentina 1, Australia 4, Belgium 18, Bermuda 1, Canada 5, Chile 1, China 3, Croatia 2, Cuba 3, Cyprus 2, Denmark 27, Ecuador 1, Estonia 2, Finland 9, France 15, Germany 26, Greece 173, Hong Kong 6, India 2, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 9, Jamaica 1, Japan 32, Kenya 3, Malaysia 10, Malta 2, Monaco 67, Netherlands 32, New Zealand 2, Norway 237, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 6, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, South Korea 2, Spain 7, Sweden 12, Switzerland 8, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Turkey 2, Ukraine 2, United Arab Emirates 10, United Kingdom 107, United States 159, Uruguay 1 (2002 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force | - |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $20 million (FY95/96) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.7% (FY99) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 10 July (1973) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French |
Natural hazards | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage | persistent fog throughout the year can be a maritime hazard |
Natural resources | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land | fish, deepwater ports |
Net migration rate | -2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -4.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] | PRG [leader NA]; Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (now UMP) [leader NA]; Socialist Party or PS [leader NA]; Union pour la Democratie Francaise or UDF [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 297,477
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 2003 est.) |
6,976 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.77% (2003 est.) | 0.3% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau | Saint Pierre |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
Religions | Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% | Roman Catholic 99% |
Sex ratio | 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 (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997) |
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA international: radiotelephone communication with most countries in the world; 1 earth station in French domestic satellite system |
Telephones - main lines in use | 96,000 (1997) | 4,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 6,152 (1997) | 0 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 0 (there are, however, two repeaters which rebroadcast programs from France, Canada, and the US) (1997) |
Terrain | long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills | mostly barren rock |
Total fertility rate | 2.25 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 2.07 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.9% (2001 est.) | 9.8% (1997) |
Waterways | none | none |