Compare Bahamas, The (2005) - Fiji (2005)

Compare Bahamas, The (2005) z Fiji (2005)

	Bahamas, The (2005)	Fiji (2005)

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	4 divisions and 1 dependency; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma, Western
Age structure	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.)	0-14 years: 31.4% (male 143,066/female 137,346) 15-64 years: 64.5% (male 288,434/female 287,720) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 16,797/female 19,991) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	citrus, vegetables; poultry	sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish
Airports	63 (2004 est.)	28 (2004 est.)
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: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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.)	total: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km	total: 18,270 sq km land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly smaller than New Jersey
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.	Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). A 1990 constitution favored native Melanesian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government and gave a mandate to the government of Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE.
Birth rate	17.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	22.73 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $1 billion expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY03/04)	revenues: $427.9 million expenditures: $531.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.)
Capital	Nassau	Suva (Viti Levu)
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream	tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation
Coastline	3,542 km	1,129 km
Constitution	10 July 1973	promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended on 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas	conventional long form: Republic of the Fiji Islands conventional short form: Fiji
Death rate	8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$308.5 million (2002)	$188.1 million (2001 est.)
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	chief of mission: Ambassador David L. LYON embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 331-4466 FAX: [679] 330-0081
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	chief of mission: Mr. Paula NAVUNISARAVI (Charge D'Affaires ad Interim) chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996
Disputes - international	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	none
Economic aid - recipient	$9.8 million (1995)	$40.3 million (1995)
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.	Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity, but is inefficient. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's ability to manage its budget. Yet short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly.
Electricity - consumption	1.596 billion kWh (2002)	697.5 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	1.716 billion kWh (2002)	750 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 m
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal	deforestation; soil erosion
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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%	Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.)
Exchange rates	Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000)	Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001), 2.1286 (2000)
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: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs, which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chief system elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA%
Exports	transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003)	NA
Exports - commodities	mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals; fruit and vegetables	sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil
Exports - partners	US 40.2%, Poland 13.3%, Spain 11.6%, Germany 5.9%, France 4.3% (2004)	US 24%, Australia 19%, UK 12.6%, Samoa 6.5%, Japan 4.1% (2004)
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	light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 16.6% industry: 22.4% services: 61% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3% (2004 est.)	3.6% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W	18 00 S, 175 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited	includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited
Heliports	1 (2004 est.)	-
Highways	total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.)	total: 3,440 km paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: 27% (2000)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center	-
Imports	NA	NA
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals	manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals
Imports - partners	US 22.4%, South Korea 18.9%, Brazil 9.2%, Japan 7.9%, Italy 7.8%, Venezuela 6.6% (2004)	Australia 25.9%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 21.1% (2004)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from UK)	10 October 1970 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	NA
Industries	tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe	tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries
Infant mortality rate	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.)	total: 12.62 deaths/1,000 live births male: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.2% (year ending September 2004)	1.6% (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)	ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA	30 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts
Labor force	156,000 (1999)	137,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.)	agriculture, including subsistence agriculture 70% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.8% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 98.8% (2001)	arable land: 10.95% permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2001)
Languages	English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)	English (official), Fijian, Hindustani
Legal system	based on English common law	based on British system
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	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 appointed by the President on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the president, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms) elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1 September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2006) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - FLP 26.5%, SDL 27.5%, NFP 1.2%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, UGP .3%, independents 1.4%; seats by party - FLP 27, SDL 32, MV 6, NFP 1, NLUP 2, UGP 1, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 65.54 years male: 62.11 years female: 69.04 years (2005 est.)	total population: 69.53 years male: 67.05 years female: 72.14 years (2005 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: 93.7% male: 95.5% female: 91.9% (2003 est.)
Location	Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba	Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added
Merchant marine	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)	total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,372 GRT/7,453 DWT by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2005)
Military branches	Royal Bahamaian Defense Force (naval forces) (2004)	Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Division (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	$36 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	2.2% (FY02)
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)	Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970)
Nationality	noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian	noun: Fijian(s) adjective: Fijian
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage	cyclonic storms can occur from November to January
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land	timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower
Net migration rate	-2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]	Bai Kei Viti Party or BKV [Ratu Tevita MOMOEDONU]; Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or MV [Ratu Rakuita VAKALALABURE]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic Party or FDP [Felipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or FAP [Adi Kuini SPEED], Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Felipe BOLE], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Tupeni BABA]); Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDRHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP [leader NA] (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP [leader NA]; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM [leader NA]; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR [leader NA]; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of National Unity or PANU [Meli BOGILEKA]; Party of the Truth or POTT [leader NA]; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick BEDDOES]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	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.)	893,354 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	25.5% (1990-91)
Population growth rate	0.67% (2005 est.)	1.4% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point	Lambasa, Lautoka, Suva
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)	AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	-	total: 597 km narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2003)
Religions	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)	Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2% note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986)
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 (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	21 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: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center domestic: NA international: country code - 679; access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	131,700 (2003)	102,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	121,800 (2002)	109,900 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2004)	NA
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills	mostly mountains of volcanic origin
Total fertility rate	2.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)	2.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	10.2% (2004 est.)	7.6% (1999)
Waterways	-	203 km note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2004)

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