Compare Bahamas, The (2008) - Turks and Caicos Islands (2008)

Compare Bahamas, The (2008) z Turks and Caicos Islands (2008)

	Bahamas, The (2008)	Turks and Caicos Islands (2008)

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 (overseas territory of the UK)
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: 31.3% (male 3,466/female 3,345) 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 7,398/female 6,690) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 394/female 453) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	citrus, vegetables; poultry	corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Airports	62 (2007)	8 (2007)
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: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 22 (2007)	total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area	total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km	total: 430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	2.5 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.	The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.
Birth rate	17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	21.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $1.03 billion expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05)	revenues: $47 million expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 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	name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream	tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Coastline	3,542 km	389 km
Constitution	10 July 1973	Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006)
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI
Death rate	9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$342.6 million (2004 est.)	$NA
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK
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	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH 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 (overseas territory of the UK)
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	have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder
Economic aid - recipient	$4.78 million (2004)	$4.1 million (1997)
Economy - overview	The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries 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 tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% 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 combined 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. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors.	The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
Electricity - consumption	1.762 billion kWh (2005)	10.76 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	1.894 billion kWh (2005)	11.57 million kWh (2005)
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: Blue Hills 49 m
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal	limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
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%	black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Exchange rates	Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003)	the US dollar is used
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 ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005) head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003); note - the office of premier was created in the 2006 constitution cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor
Exports	transshipments of 41,290 bbl/day (2004)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables	lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Exports - partners	Spain 22.3%, US 19.8%, Poland 13.5%, Germany 13%, UK 5.7%, Guatemala 4.9% (2006)	US, UK (2006)
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	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - real growth rate	2.8% (2007 est.)	4.9% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W	21 45 N, 71 35 W
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited	about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
Heliports	1 (2007)	-
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 narcotics destined for the US and Europe
Imports	68,250 bbl/day (2004)	83.55 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals	food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Imports - partners	US 24.7%, Brazil 15.7%, Japan 13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Spain 6.2% (2006)	US, UK (2006)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from UK)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA%
Industries	tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe	tourism, offshore financial services
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: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.4% (2007 est.)	4% (1995)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Irrigated land	10 sq km (2003)	NA
Judicial branch	Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; magistrates courts	Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Labor force	181,900 (2006)	4,848 (1990 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.)	note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005)	arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005)
Languages	English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)	English (official)
Legal system	based on English common law	based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
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 House of Assembly (21 seats of which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 60%, PDM 40%; seats by party - PNP 13, PDM 2
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 65.66 years male: 62.37 years female: 69.02 years (2007 est.)	total population: 74.95 years male: 72.69 years female: 77.32 years (2007 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 has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.)
Location	Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba	Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
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: 200 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)	registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.5% (2006)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)	Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Nationality	noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian	noun: none adjective: none
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage	frequent hurricanes
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land	spiny lobster, conch
Net migration rate	-2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	9.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
People - note	-	destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
Political parties and leaders	Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]	People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]
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.)	21,746 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	9.3% (2004)	NA%
Population growth rate	0.602% (2007 est.)	2.722% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)	AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (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)	Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
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: 1.036 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.106 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.073 male(s)/female (2007 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: fully digital system with international direct dialing domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	133,100 (2005)	5,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	227,800 (2005)	1,700 (1999)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2006)	0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003)
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills	low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Total fertility rate	2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.)	3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	7.6% (2006 est.)	10% (1997 est.)

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