Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / British Virgin Islands (2002) - Bahamas, The (2001) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##
Compare British Virgin Islands (2002) - Bahamas, The (2001)
Compare British Virgin Islands (2002) z Bahamas, The (2001)
| British Virgin Islands (2002) | Bahamas, The (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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, Nicholls Town and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 22.4% (male 2,401; female 2,351)
15-64 years: 72.7% (male 7,962; female 7,509) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 565; female 484) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
29.43% (male 44,179; female 43,486) 15-64 years: 64.46% (male 94,329; female 97,674) 65 years and over: 6.11% (male 7,618; female 10,566) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish | citrus, vegetables; poultry |
| Airports | 3 (2001) | 65 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
36 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
29 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 23 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total: 153 sq km
land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada |
total:
13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Background | First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 15.09 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 19.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $121.5 million
expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
revenues:
$766 million expenditures: $845 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (FY97/98) |
| Capital | Road Town | Nassau |
| Climate | subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
| Coastline | 80 km | 3,542 km |
| Constitution | 1 June 1977 | 10 July 1973 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI |
conventional long form:
Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | Bahamian dollar (BSD) |
| Death rate | 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | $36.1 million (1997) | $385.8 million (2000 est.) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate J. Richard BLANKENSHIP embassy: Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; stateside address: American Embassy Nassau, P. O. Box 599009, Miami, FL 33159-9009; pouch address: Nassau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 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 |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | NA | $9.8 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. | 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 40% of the archipelago's labor force. Moderate growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences led to an increase of the country's GDP by an estimated 3% in 1998, 6% in 1999, and 4.5% in 2000. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute only 10% of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run will depend heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector and continued sturdy growth in the US, which accounts for the majority of tourist visitors. |
| Electricity - consumption | 39.1 million kWh (1999) | 1.362 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 42 million kWh (1999) | 1.465 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Sage 521 m |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
| Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments) | coral reef decay; solid waste disposal |
| 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 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed | black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)
head of government: Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Orville TURNQUEST (since 2 January 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Frank WATSON (since December 1994) 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; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
| Exports | $6.2 million | $376.8 million (2000 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand | pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish, refined petroleum products |
| Exports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | US 22.3%, Switzerland 15.6%, UK 15%, Denmark 7.4% (1998) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
| Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) | three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4.5 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2%
industry: 6% services: 92% (1996 est.) |
agriculture:
3% industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.4% (2000 est.) | 4.5% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 30 N, 64 30 W | 24 15 N, 76 00 W |
| Geography - note | strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico | strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
| Highways | total: 177 km
paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
total:
2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1997) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; banking industry vulnerable to money laundering |
| Imports | $230 million (2000 est.) | $1.73 billion (2000 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery | foodstuffs, manufactured goods, crude oil, vehicles, electronics |
| Imports - partners | Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US | US 27.3%, Italy 26.5%, Japan 10%, Denmark 4.2% (1998) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 10 July 1973 (from UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4% (1985) | NA% |
| Industries | tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center | tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe |
| Infant mortality rate | 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 17.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2000) | 1.9% (2000 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) | ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 16 (2000) | 19 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
| Judicial branch | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts |
| Labor force | 4,911 (1980) | 156,000 (1999) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 32% other: 67% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | English (official) | English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
| Legal system | English law | based on English common law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5 |
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 14 March 1997 (next to be held by March 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FNM 35, PLP 5 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.85 years
male: 74.9 years female: 76.84 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
70.46 years male: 67.27 years female: 73.71 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT
ships by type: passenger 1 (2002 est.) |
total:
1,049 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,000,221 GRT/44,601,471 DWT ships by type: bulk 185, cargo 214, chemical tanker 36, combination bulk 15, combination ore/oil 22, container 66, liquefied gas 33, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 4, passenger 79, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 182, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 50, short-sea passenger 15, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 24 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Algeria 2, Australia 1, Austria 1, Bermuda 6, Belgium 14, Canada 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 2, Denmark 17, Finland 7, France 9, Germany 9, Greece 89, Hong Kong 7, Indonesia 2, India 1, Israel 4, Italy 8, Japan 23, Jamaica 1, Kenya 1, Lebanon 2, Luxembourg 2, Monaco 15, Malaysia 1, Netherlands 16, Norway 139, Poland 3, Portugal 2, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 5, Singapore 12, Spain 7, Sweden 14, Syria 1, Switzerland 7, UAE 1, Trinidad and Tobago 2, UK 67, Ukraine 3, US 50, British Virgin Islands 1, British Virgin Islands 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
| 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 | - | NA% |
| National holiday | Territory Day, 1 July | Independence Day, 10 July (1973) |
| Nationality | noun: British Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: British Virgin Islander |
noun:
Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian |
| Natural hazards | hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) | hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage |
| Natural resources | NEGL | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
| Net migration rate | 10.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] | Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 21,272 (July 2002 est.) | 297,852
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 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.16% (2002 est.) | 0.93% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Road Town | Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Radios | 9,000 (1997) | 215,000 (1997) |
| Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
| Religions | Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991) | Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth:
1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: worldwide telephone service
domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda |
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) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (1996) | 96,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 6,152 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
| Terrain | coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly | long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
| Total fertility rate | 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.3 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3% (1995) | 9% (1998 est.) |
| Waterways | none | none |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.