Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/18.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 8.4 KB | 334 lines

@node Geography (The Bahamas)
@section Geography (The Bahamas)

@display

Location:
  in the western North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and northwest of
  Cuba
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the
  World
Area:
 total area:
  13,940 km2
 land area:
  10,070 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  3,542 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
 exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:   3 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain:
  long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Natural resources:
  salt, aragonite, timber
Land use:
 arable land:
  1%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  0%
 forest and woodland:
  32%
 other:
  67%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood
  damage
Note:
  strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain



@end display

@node People (The Bahamas)
@section People (The Bahamas)

@display

Population:
  268,726 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.62% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  18.97 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.15 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  31.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  72.02 years
 male:
  68.19 years
 female:
  75.96 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Bahamian(s)  adjective:
  Bahamian
Ethnic divisions:
  black 85%, white 15%
Religions:
  Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God
  6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Languages:
  English, Creole, among Haitian immigrants
Literacy:
  age 15 and over but definition of literacy not available (1963)
 total population:
  90%
 male:
  90%
 female:
  89%
Labor force:
  127,400
 by occupation:
  government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services 10%,
  agriculture 5% (1989)



@end display

@node Government (The Bahamas)
@section Government (The Bahamas)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
 conventional short form:
  The Bahamas
Digraph:
  BF
Type:
  commonwealth
Capital:
  Nassau
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:
  10 July 1973 (from UK)
Constitution:
  10 July 1973
Legal system:
  based on English common law
National holiday:
  National Day, 10 July (1973)
Political parties and leaders:
  Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National
  Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM; Vanguard Nationalist and
  Socialist Party (VNPS), Lionel CAREY, chairman; People's Democratic Force
  (PDF), Fred MITCHELL
Other political or pressure groups:
  Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party
  headed by Lionel CAREY; Trade Union Congress (TUC), headed by Arlington
  MILLER
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Assembly:
  last held 19 August 1992 (next to be held by August 1997); results - percent
  of vote by party NA; seats - (49 total) FNM 32, PLP 17
Executive branch:
  British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
  Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament consists of an appointed upper house or Senate and a
  directly elected lower house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
  Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Hubert INGRAHAM (since 19 August 1992)
Member of:
  ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFC,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO



@end display

@node Government (The Bahamas 2. usage)
@section Government (The Bahamas 2. usage)

@display

Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Timothy Baswell DONALDSON
 chancery:
  2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
 consulates general:
  Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Chic HECHT
 embassy:
  Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau
 telephone:
  [phone] or 328-2206
 FAX:
  [phone]
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with
  a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side



@end display

@node Economy (The Bahamas)
@section Economy (The Bahamas)

@display

Overview:
  The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income, developing nation whose economy is
  based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides
  about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or
  40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as
  the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, per
  capita GDP is one of the highest in the region.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.6 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1991)
National product per capita:
  $10,200 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7.2% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
  16% (1991 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $627.5 million; expenditures $727.5 million, including capital
  expenditures of $100 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
  $306 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish
 partners:
  US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%
Imports:
  $1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels, crude oil
 partners:
  US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%
External debt:
  $1.2 billion (December 1990)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
  424,000 kW capacity; 929 million kWh produced, 3,599 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production,
  rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe
Agriculture:
  accounts for 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers; principal
  products-citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of food
Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for cocaine
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1.0 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345 million
Currency:   1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1-1.00 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (The Bahamas)
@section Communications (The Bahamas)

@display

Highways:
  2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel
Ports:
  Freeport, Nassau
Merchant marine:
  853 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,136,078 GRT/33,119,750 DWT;
  includes 53 passenger, 18 short-sea passenger, 159 cargo, 40
  roll-on/roll-off cargo, 48 container, 6 vehicle carrier, 181 oil tanker, 14
  liquefied gas, 22 combination ore/oil, 43 chemical tanker, 1 specialized
  tanker, 159 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 102 refrigerated cargo; note-a flag of
  convenience registry
Airports:
 total:
  60
 usable:
  55
 with permanent-surface runways:
  31
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3, 659 m:
  3
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  26
Telecommunications:
  highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system;
  tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; broadcast
  stations-3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean
  INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (The Bahamas)
@section Defense Forces (The Bahamas)

@display

Branches:
  Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 68,020; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion-$65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)



@end display