t, aragonite, timber
Land use:
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
32%
other:
67%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive
flood and wind damage
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
Note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain

@The Bahamas, People

Population:
273,055 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.57% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
18.86 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.38 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
33.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.52 years
male:
67.66 years
female:
75.49 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.88 children born/woman (1994 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 est.)
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)

@The Bahamas, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
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)
National holiday:
National Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution:
10 July 1973
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: