extensive island chain
of which 30 are inhabited

People Bahamas, The

Population:
299,697
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 and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.3% (male 42,474; female 42,423)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 96,825; female 99,985)
65 years and over: 6% (male 7,351; female 10,639) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.3 years
male: 26.5 years
female: 28 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.72% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.22 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 31.73 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.63 years
male: 62.21 years
female: 69.11 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.23 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5,600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian

Ethnic groups:
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%

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 (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6%
male: 94.7%
female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Government Bahamas, The

Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas

Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Nassau

Administrative divisions:
21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island,
Exu