THE BAHAMAS

Official name: COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS 

Short name: The Bahamas 

Date of membership: 25 March 1998 

Capital: Nassau 

Government 

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) 

Constitution: 10 July 1973 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal 

Executive branch: Chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling (since 8 June 2014). Head of government: Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Perry Gladstone Christie (since 8 May 2012)

Legislative 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. 

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

Internet country code: .bs 

Portal Web oficial: 

http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/gov/government/!ut/p/b1/04_Sj9S1MDUzMbIwMTfTj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOKNDdx9HR1NLHzdTQ3MDDxDA3wcA8w9jPy9jYAKIoEKDHAARwNC-sP1o_AqMTGAKsBjhZ9Hfm6qfm5UjqWnrqMiACDWors!/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/

Geography 

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

Area: 13,940 sq km 

Coastline: 3,542 km 

Natural resources: Salt, aragonite, timber, arable land 

Environment - international agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection.

Economic indicators

Total at current prices   12162 Millones USD 2017
Per capita at current prices  30762 USD 2017
Growth rate per capita at constant prices  0.4 % 2017
Country share in regional GDP 0.2 % 2017
Imports of goods and services (GDP at current prices) -41.8 % 2015
Exports of goods and services (GDP at current prices) 33.7 % 2015

Source: Bahamas: National Economic Profile. CEPALSTAT. Databases and Statistical and
Publications. ECLAC. 
On line. Inquiry: July 07, 2019.

Socio-demographic indicators

Total population   403 000 2017
Life expectancy 76 Años 2015-2020
Women 79 Años 2015-2020
Men 73 Años 2015-2020
Public health expenditure as a percentage of GDP 7.4 % 2015
Literacy rate for persons between the ages of 15 to 24 NA % NA
Net rate of enrolment in primary education 88.2 % 2016
Net rate of enrolment in secondary education 82.1 % 2016
Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP 2.2 % 2000
Gini Coefficient NA NA NA
Unemployment 12.0 % 2015

Source: Bahamas: National Socio-Demographic ProfileCEPALSTAT. Data Bases and Statistical Publications. ECLAC. On line. Inquiry: July 07, 2019. ND= No data available.

Languages: English (Tasa), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)