e branch: 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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts

Political parties and leaders: Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert
Alexander INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry
CHRISTIE]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: 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)

Diplomatic representation in the US: 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

Diplomatic representation from the US: 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

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top),
gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the
hoist side

Bahamas, The Economy

Economy - overview: 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