| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Geographical Location |
24° 15' North Latitude
76° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
13,940 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
| Natural Resources |
Salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Commonwealth of The Bahamas |
| Capital City |
Nassau |
| Government Type |
Constitutional parliamentary democracy |
| 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 |
| Independence Day |
10 July 1973 (from UK) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
301,790 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Bahamian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Black 85% , white 12% , Asian and Hispanic 3% |
| Religion |
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% |
| Languages |
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
| Population Growth Rate |
0.67% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Bahamian dollar (BSD) |
| Industries |
Tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe |
| Labor Force |
156,000 (1999) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Citrus, vegetables; poultry |
| Export Commodities |
Mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals; fruit and vegetables |
| Export Partners |
US 42.1%, Spain 10.3%, Poland 6.1%, Germany 6.1%, Switzerland 4.9%, Paraguay 4.8%, France 4.5%, Mexico 4.5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals |
| Import Partners |
US 22.3%, South Korea 19%, Japan 8.2%, Brazil 8.2%, Italy 8.1%, Venezuela 6.8% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
2,693 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
63 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+1242 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.bs |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. |
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| www.kfrawy.com |
