Bahamas, The. Ballpoint Pens, Rollerball Pens,Cartridges, Fountain Pens.

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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. Location Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba   Geographic Coordinates 24 15 N, 76 00 W Area - comparative slightly smaller than Connecticut Coast line 0 km Climate 3,542 km Terrain Bahamas, The tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream Natural Resources Bahamas, The long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills Irrigated land salt, aragonite, timber, arable land Total Renewable Water Resources 10 sq km (2003) Natural Hazards NA Environment Currentissues hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage Geography Note coral reef decay; solid waste disposal Population Bahamas, The strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited Population growth rate 310,426 Birth Rate 0.935% (2010 est.) Death Rate 16.25 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Netmigration Rate 6.89 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Total Fertility Rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate 2 children born/woman (2010 est.) Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids 3% (2007 est.) Hiv/Aids Deaths fewer than 200 (2007 est.) Religions black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% Languages 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) Education Expenditures English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) Government Type 3.6% of GDP (2000) Administrative Divisions constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm Independence 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 National Holiday 10 July 1973 (from the UK) Constitution Independence Day, 10 July (1973) Legal System 10-Jul-73 Suffrage based on English common law Legislative Branch 18 years of age; universal Political Partie Sand Leaders 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 Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] International Organization Participation Friends of the Environment Flag Description ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PetroCaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Economy Overview three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the rich resources of land and sea GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) 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. Prior to 2006, a steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences led to solid GDP growth but since then tourism receipts have begun to drop off. The global recession in 2009 took a sizeable toll on the Bahamas, resulting in a contraction in GDP and a widening budget deficit. The outlook for 2010 is for slightly positive growth as tourism from the US returns, but sector investment is not expected to substantially increase. 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, the financial sector currently is smaller than it has been in the past because of the enactment of new and more strict financial regulations in 2000 that caused many international businesses to relocate elsewhere. 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. GDP (Official Exchange Rate) $9.084 billion (2009 est.) GDP Real Growth Rate $7.49 billion (2009 est.) GDP Per Capita (PPP) -4% (2009 est.) Labor Force $29,800 (2009 est.) Unemployment Rate 184,000 (2009) Population Below Poverty Line 7.6% (2006 est.) Distribution Of Family Income 9.3% (2004) Unvestment Gross Fixed 2.4% (2007 est.) Inflation Rrate 5.25% (31 December 2008) Central Bank Discount Rate 5.5% (31 December 2008) Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate $1.255 billion (31 December 2008) Stock Of Money $4.637 billion (31 December 2008) Stock Of Quasi Money $7.883 billion (31 December 2008) Stock Of Domestic Credit $NA Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares citrus, vegetables; poultry Agriculture - Products tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe Industries NA% Industrial Production Growth Rate 2.045 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Production 1.902 billion kWh (2007 est.) Electricity Consumption 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Exports 0 kWh (2008 est.) Electricity Imports 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Production 34,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) Oil Consumption transshipments of 41,570 bbl/day (2007 est.) Oil Exports 20,560 bbl/day (2009 est.) Oil Imports 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) Oil Proved Reserves 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Production 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Consumption 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Exports 0 cu m (2008 est.) Natural Gas Imports 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) Natural Gas Proved Reserves -$283.2 million (2009 est.) Current Account Balance $674 million (2006) Exports mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables Exports Commodities US 21.4%, Singapore 18.7%, Poland 18%, Germany 7.6%, Japan 7.4% (2008) Exports Partners $2.401 billion (2006) Imports machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals Imports Commodities US 25.7%, South Korea 19.3%, Japan 16.8%, Singapore 7.5%, Venezuela 5.1% (2008) Imports Partners $342.6 million (2004 est.) Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2009), 1 (2008), 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005) Debt - External 133,000 (2008) Radio Broadcast Stations AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2009) Television Broadcast Stations 2 (2006) Internet Country Code .bs Airports 62 (2009) Military Service Age and Obligation 0.7% of GDP (2009)

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