Bahamas

Location: The Bahamas comprise an archipelago of about 700 islands and islets and nearly 2400 cays and rocks, extending for about 1200 km from a point south-east of Palm Beach, Florida, to a point off the eastern tip of Cuba.

Official Name:      Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Capital:     Nassau

Land area (km2):      13,939
Coastline (km):      3,542
Maritime Boundaries (Nau. miles):      12 Territorial Sea, 200 EEZ

Population Number (hab.):      272,000 (1994)
Capital (hab.):      172,196 (1990)
Population Growth (%):      1.6 (1990-1995)
Density (hab./km2):     19,5 (1994)
Coastal Population (hab.):      272,000 (100%)

Language:     English

Economy
Currency:     Bahamas dollar (B$)
Exchange Rate:     1 B $ = 1 US $ (1995)
Gross Domestic Product:      US$ 3.108 million (1993)
Per capita income (US $):      11,420 (1993)
Fisheries:      Commercial fishing is being expanded.
Oil and Gas:     Oil refining and transshipment from large ships to smaller vessels at new terminals                             has commenced in recent years.
Tourism:     Tourism is the number one industry. One of the most popular year-round resorts in the                       western hemisphere, visited annually by some 3 million tourists. Tourism represents                       about 50 percent of the gross national product.

Member of ONU, Commonwealth, CARICOM, OEA, IOCARIBE