The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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      @Bahamas, The

      Introduction

       Bahamas, The

      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.

      Geography

       Bahamas, The

      Location:

      Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

      Geographic coordinates:

      24 15 N, 76 00 W

      Map references:

      Central America and the Caribbean

      Area:

      total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km

      Area - comparative:

      slightly smaller than Connecticut

      Land boundaries:

      0 km

      Coastline:

      3,542 km

      Maritime claims:

      territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

      Climate:

      tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

      Terrain:

      long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

      Elevation extremes:

      lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

      Natural resources:

      salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

      Land use:

      arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      10 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      NA

      Natural hazards:

      hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage

      Environment - current issues:

      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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - note:

      strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited

      People

       Bahamas, The

      Population:

      307,451 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 26.4% (male 40,608/female 40,506) 15–64 years: 66.9% (male 101,150/female 104,457) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 8,472/female 12,258) (2008 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 28.4 years male: 27.6 years female: 29.2 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      0.57% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      17.06 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      −2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 23.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.89 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 65.72 years male: 62.5 years female: 69 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      2.13 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      3% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      5,600 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

      noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian

      Ethnic groups:

      black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

      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)

      Languages:

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