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BAHAMAS
Map of BAHAMAS
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Location:
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Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba |
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Geographic coordinates:
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24 15 N, 76 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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3,542 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
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Terrain:
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long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
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Natural resources:
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salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 99.13% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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10 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage |
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Environment - current issues:
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coral reef decay; solid waste disposal |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Population:
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307,451
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 26.4% (male 40,608/female 40,506)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 101,150/female 104,457)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 8,472/female 12,258) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
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Ethnic groups:
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black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
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Religions:
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Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census) |
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Languages:
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English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
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Education expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.6% (2000) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
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Government type:
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constitutional parliamentary democracy |
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Capital:
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name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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Independence:
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10 July 1973 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
Source: http://cia.gov
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