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

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret E. McDONALD;
Chancery at Suite 865, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20037;
telephone (202) 944-3390; there are Bahamian Consulates General in Miami
and New York;

US--Ambassador Chic HECHT; Embassy at Mosmar Building,
Queen Street, Nassau (mailing address is P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau);
telephone (809) 322-1181 or 328-2206

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

_*_Economy
_#_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, the per capita GDP of $9,800 is one of the highest in the
region.

_#_GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $9,800; real growth rate 2.0%
(1989 est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (1990 est.)

_#_Unemployment: 11.7% (1989)

_#_Budget: revenues $1.03 billion; expenditures $1.1 billion,
including capital expenditures of $275 million (1990)

_#_Exports: $300 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);

commodities--pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish;

partners--US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%

_#_Imports: $1.23 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);

commodities--foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels;

partners--US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%

_#_External debt: $1.2 billion (December 1990)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%; accounts for 15% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 368,000 kW capacity; 857 million kWh produced,
3,480 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and
transshipment, salt production, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral
weld, steel pipe

_#_Agriculture: accounts for less than 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 (FY85-88), $1.0
mill