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Compare Bahamas, The (2007) - Netherlands Antilles (2004)

Compare Bahamas, The (2007) z Netherlands Antilles (2004)

 Bahamas, The (2007)Netherlands Antilles (2004)
 Bahamas, TheNetherlands Antilles
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 (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)


note: each island has its own government
Age structure 0-14 years: 27% (male 41,268/female 41,186)


15-64 years: 66.5% (male 99,961/female 103,230)


65 years and over: 6.5% (male 8,176/female 11,834) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 24.5% (male 27,387; female 26,094)


15-64 years: 67.2% (male 70,024; female 76,552)


65 years and over: 8.3% (male 7,443; female 10,626) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products citrus, vegetables; poultry aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit
Airports 62 (2007) 5 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 24


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 12


914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2007)
total: 5


over 3,047 m: 1


2038 to 3047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 38


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 22 (2007)
-
Area total: 13,940 sq km


land: 10,070 sq km


water: 3,870 sq km
total: 960 sq km


land: 960 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut more than five times the size of Washington, DC
Background Lucayan 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 Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. Once the center of the Caribbean slave trade, the island of Curacao was hard hit by the abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the construction of oil refineries to service the newly discovered Venezuelan oil fields. The island of Saint Martin is shared with France; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles; its northern portion is called Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe.
Birth rate 17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 15.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.03 billion


expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05)
revenues: $710.8 million


expenditures: $741.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997 est.)
Capital name: Nassau


geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Willemstad
Climate tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade winds
Coastline 3,542 km 364 km
Constitution 10 July 1973 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Country name conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas


conventional short form: The Bahamas
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Netherlands Antilles


local long form: none


local short form: Nederlandse Antillen


former: Curacao and Dependencies
Currency - Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG)
Death rate 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $342.6 million (2004 est.) $1.35 billion (1996)
Dependency status - part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL


embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau


mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370


telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 356-3229 (after hours)


FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222
chief of mission: Consul General Robert E. SORENSON


consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad AN, Curacao


mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao


telephone: [599] (9) 4613066


FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: vacant


chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660


FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668


consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Disputes - international disagrees with the US on the alignment of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian refugees in Bahamian waters none
Economic aid - recipient $4.78 million (2004) IMF provided $61 million in 2000, and the Netherlands continued its support with $40 million (2000)
Economy - overview The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 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. The current government has presided over a period of economic recovery and an upturn in large-scale private sector investments in tourism. 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. Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of this small economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. Although GDP has declined or grown slightly in each of the past seven years, the islands enjoy a high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, the US and Mexico being the major suppliers. Poor soils and inadequate water supplies hamper the development of agriculture. Budgetary problems hamper reform of the health and pension systems of an aging population.
Electricity - consumption 1.762 billion kWh (2005) 986.8 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 1.894 billion kWh (2005) 1.061 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Scenery 862 m
Environment - current issues coral reef decay; solid waste disposal NA
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% mixed black 85%, Carib Amerindian, white, East Asian
Exchange rates Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002) Netherlands Antillean guilders per US dollar - 1.79 (2003), 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007)


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 BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 1 July 2002)


head of government: Prime Minister Etienne YS (since 3 June 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Staten (legislature)


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch for a six-year term; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is usually elected prime minister by the Staten; election last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held by NA 2006)


note: government coalition - PAR, PNP, PLKP, DP St. Maarten, UP Bonaire, WIPM Saba, DP Statia
Exports transshipments of 41,290 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables petroleum products
Exports - partners Spain 23.8%, US 21.1%, Poland 14.4%, Germany 7.3%, UK 6.1%, Guatemala 5.2% (2006) US 21.3%, Venezuela 16%, Bahamas, The 7.6%, Singapore 5.2%, Honduras 4.9%, Guatemala 4.4% (2003)
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 white, with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band, also centered; five white, five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
GDP - purchasing power parity - $2.45 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3%


industry: 7%


services: 90% (2001 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $11,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4% (2006 est.) 0.5% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 15 N, 76 00 W 12 15 N, 68 45 W
Geography - note strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles are divided geographically into the Leeward Islands (northern) group (Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten) and the Windward Islands (southern) group (Bonaire and Curacao)
Heliports 1 (2007) -
Highways - total: 600 km


paved: 300 km


unpaved: 300 km
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 transshipment point for South American drugs bound for the US and Europe; money-laundering center
Imports NA bbl/day NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals crude petroleum, food, manufactures
Imports - partners US 24.5%, Brazil 15.6%, Japan 13%, South Korea 7.8%, Spain 7.1% (2006) Venezuela 64.8%, US 13.6%, Netherlands 7.8% (2003)
Independence 10 July 1973 (from UK) none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA
Industries tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe tourism (Curacao, Sint Maarten, and Bonaire), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Infant mortality rate total: 24.17 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 10.37 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 11.18 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.2% (2004) 2.1% (2003 est.)
International organization participation ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate)
Irrigated land 10 sq km (2003) NA sq km
Judicial branch Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; magistrates courts Joint High Court of Justice (judges appointed by the monarch)
Labor force 176,300 (2004) 89,000 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.) agriculture 1%, industry 13%, services 86% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 10.2 km


border countries: Guadeloupe (Saint Martin) 10.2 km
Land use arable land: 0.58%


permanent crops: 0.29%


other: 99.13% (2005)
arable land: 10%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 90% (2001)
Languages English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Legal system based on English common law based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 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 2 May 2007 (next to be called by May 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18
unicameral States or Staten (22 seats - Curacao 14, Bonaire 3, St. Maarten 3, St. Eustatius 1, Saba 1; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 18 January 2002 (next to be held in 2006)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAR 4, PNP 3, PLKP 2, DP St. M 2, UP Bonaire 2, WIPM 1, DP


note: the government of Prime Minister Etienne YS is a coalition of several parties; current government formed after collapse of FOL led government on 4 April 2004
Life expectancy at birth total population: 65.66 years


male: 62.37 years


female: 69.02 years (2007 est.)
total population: 75.6 years


male: 73.37 years


female: 77.95 years (2004 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: 96.7%


male: 96.7%


female: 96.8% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba Caribbean, two island groups in the Caribbean Sea - one includes Curacao and Bonaire north of Venezuela; the other is east of the Virgin Islands
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Merchant marine total: 1,213 ships (1000 GRT or over) 40,403,455 GRT/54,276,183 DWT


by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 225, cargo 240, chemical tanker 84, combination ore/oil 13, container 72, liquefied gas 49, livestock carrier 2, passenger 117, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 196, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 39


foreign-owned: 1,134 (Angola 6, Australia 3, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 1, Canada 13, China 9, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 20, Denmark 66, Finland 8, France 43, Germany 40, Greece 214, Hong Kong 3, Iceland 1, Indonesia 3, Ireland 2, Italy 1, Japan 62, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 11, Monaco 11, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24, Nigeria 2, Norway 232, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Russia 5, Saudi Arabia 15, Singapore 9, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 11, Sweden 5, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 5, UAE 20, UK 68, US 162, Uruguay 1, Venezuela 1)


registered in other countries: 3 (Barbados 1, Panama 2) (2007)
total: 162 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,317,007 GRT/1,668,499 DWT


by type: bulk 4, cargo 59, chemical tanker 1, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 3, container 28, liquefied gas 6, multi-functional large load carrier 22, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 1


foreign-owned: Belgium 3, Denmark 1, Germany 57, Monaco 4, Netherlands 70, New Zealand 1, Norway 5, Peru 1, Spain 1, Sweden 5, Turkey 2, United Kingdom 6


registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Military branches Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007) National Guard, Police Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.5% (2006) -
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 55,536 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 31,025 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 1,660 (2004 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 10 July (1973) Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA in 1909 and accession to the throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX in 1980), 30 April
Nationality noun: Bahamian(s)


adjective: Bahamian
noun: Dutch Antillean(s)


adjective: Dutch Antillean
Natural hazards hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt and are rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
Natural resources salt, aragonite, timber, arable land phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Net migration rate -2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] Antillean Restructuring Party or PAR [Etienne YS]; C 93 [Stanley BROWN]; Democratic Party of Bonaire or PDB [Jopi ABRAHAM]; Democratic Party of Curacao or DP [Errol HERNANDEZ]; Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius or DP-St. E [Julian WOODLEY]; Democratic Party of Sint Maarten or DP-St. M [Sarah WESCOTT-WILLIAMS]; Foundation Energetic Management Anti-Narcotics or FAME [Eric LODEWIJKS]; Labor Party People's Crusade or PLKP [Errol COVA]; National Alliance [William MARLIN]; National People's Party or PNP [Susanne F. C. CAMELIA-ROMER]; New Antilles Movement or MAN [Kenneth GIJSBERTHA]; Patriotic Union of Bonaire or UPB [Ramonsito BOOI]; Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten or SPA [Vance JAMES, Jr.]; People's Party or PAPU [Richard HODI]; Pro Curacao Party or PPK [Winston LOURENS]; Saba Democratic Labor Movement [Steve HASSELL]; Saba Unity Party [Carmen SIMMONDS]; St. Eustatius Alliance or SEA [Kenneth VAN PUTTEN]; Serious Alternative People's Party or Sapp [Julian ROLLOCKS]; Social Action Cause or KAS [Benny DEMEI]; Windward Islands People's Movement or WIPM [Will JOHNSTON]; Workers' Liberation Front or FOL [Anthony GODETT, Rignald LAK, Editha WRIGHT]


note: political parties are indigenous to each island
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 305,655


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 2007 est.)
218,126 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 9.3% (2004) NA
Population growth rate 0.602% (2007 est.) 0.86% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors - Kralendijk, Philipsburg, Willemstad
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006) AM 8, FM 19, shortwave 0 (2004)
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) Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Seventh-Day Adventist
Sex ratio at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.002 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.968 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.691 male(s)/female


total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: modern facilities


domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services


international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 2 (2007)
general assessment: generally adequate facilities


domestic: extensive interisland microwave radio relay links


international: country code - 599; submarine cables - 2; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 133,100 (2005) 81,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular 227,800 (2005) 81,000 (2001)
Television broadcast stations 2 (2006) 3 (there is also a cable service, which supplies programs received from various US satellite networks and two Venezuelan channels) (2004)
Terrain long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Total fertility rate 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) 2.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 10.2% (2005 est.) 15.6% (2002 est.)
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