Compare Bahamas, The (2004) - Christmas Island (2007)

Compare Bahamas, The (2004) z Christmas Island (2007)

	Bahamas, The (2004)	Christmas Island (2007)

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 (territory of Australia)
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.3% (male 42,474; female 42,423) 15-64 years: 65.7% (male 96,825; female 99,985) 65 years and over: 6% (male 7,351; female 10,639) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Agriculture - products	citrus, vegetables; poultry	NA
Airports	63 (2003 est.)	1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 29 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)	-
Area	total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km	total: 135 sq km land: 135 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	about three-quarters 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.	Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate	18.22 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	NA
Budget	revenues: $918.5 million expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00)	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Capital	Nassau	name: The Settlement geographic coordinates: 10 25 S, 105 43 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream	tropical with a wet season (December to April) and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline	3,542 km	138.9 km
Constitution	10 July 1973	Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas	conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island conventional short form: Christmas Island
Currency	Bahamian dollar (BSD)	-
Death rate	8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	NA
Debt - external	$308.5 million (2002)	-
Dependency status	-	non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US	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	none (territory of Australia)
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 (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international	concerned about migrants fleeing Haiti's deteriorated economic and political conditions	none
Economic aid - recipient	$9.8 million (1995)	$NA
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 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.	Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993, but closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, expected to begin operations in the near future.
Electricity - consumption	1.451 billion kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	-
Electricity - production	1.56 billion kWh (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal	loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining
Environment - international agreements	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	-
Ethnic groups	black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%	Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10% note: no indigenous population (2001)
Exchange rates	Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000), 1 (1999)	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3285 (2006), 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002)
Executive branch	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	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports	NA (2001)	$NA
Exports - commodities	fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables	phosphate
Exports - partners	US 35%, Spain 9.6%, Germany 7.8%, France 7.6%, Poland 5.3%, Switzerland 4.8%, Peru 4.2%, Paraguay 4.2% (2003)	Australia, NZ (2006)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side	territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5.049 billion (2003 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.)	-
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $16,700 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	0% (2003 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W	10 30 S, 105 40 E
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited	located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Heliports	1 (2003 est.)	-
Highways	total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	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
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals	consumer goods
Imports - partners	US 20.8%, South Korea 17.4%, Italy 11.4%, France 9.1%, Brazil 7.5%, Japan 5.6%, Venezuela 5.3% (2003)	principally Australia (2006)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from UK)	none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate	NA (2002 est.)	-
Industries	tourism, banking, e-commerce, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe	tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate	total: 25.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 31.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: NA male: NA female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.7% (2002 est.)	-
International organization participation	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)	none
Irrigated land	NA sq km	NA
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts	Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force	156,000 (1999)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.)	-
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.8% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 98.8% (2001)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005)
Languages	English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)	English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system	based on English common law	under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
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); 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	unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held 20 October 2007 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 65.63 years male: 62.21 years female: 69.11 years (2004 est.)	total population: NA male: NA female: NA
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.)	NA
Location	Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba	Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Southeast Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 1,035 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,631,252 GRT/43,025,977 DWT by type: bulk 165, cargo 188, chemical tanker 45, combination bulk 10, combination ore/oil 17, container 97, liquefied gas 27, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large load carrier 4, passenger 108, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 163, refrigerated cargo 133, roll on/roll off 34, short-sea/passenger 18, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 20 foreign-owned: Algeria 1, Australia 7, Belgium 14, Bermuda 1, Canada 4, Chile 1, China 4, Croatia 1, Cuba 3, Cyprus 14, Denmark 49, Estonia 1, Faroe Islands 1, Finland 9, France 21, Germany 13, Gibraltar 1, Greece 163, Hong Kong 9, India 1, Indonesia 3, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Italy 7, Japan 35, Kenya 2, South Korea 1, Latvia 1, Liberia 1, Malaysia 11, Malta 1, Monaco 68, Netherlands 29, New Zealand 1, Norway 231, Panama 2, Philippines 3, Poland 14, Reunion 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 9, Singapore 13, Slovenia 1, Spain 6, Sweden 9, Switzerland 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2 registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of Australia
Military branches	Royal Bahamas Defense Force (including Coast Guard)	-
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)	Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Nationality	noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian	noun: Christmas Islander(s) adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage	the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land	phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate	-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	NA
Political parties and leaders	Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	none
Population	299,697 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 2004 est.)	1,402 (July 2006 est.) (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	-
Population growth rate	0.72% (2004 est.)	0% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006)
Religions	Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%	Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
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 (2004 est.)	NA
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	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 - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)	general assessment: service provided by the Australian network domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - 1 INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use	131,700 (2003)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	121,800 (2002)	-
Television broadcast stations	2 (2004)	0 (TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia) (2006)
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills	steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate	2.23 children born/woman (2004 est.)	NA
Unemployment rate	6.9% (2001 est.)	-

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