te, timber

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 67% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause
extensive flood and wind damage

Environment--current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba;
extensive island chain

People

Population: 283,705 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27% (male 39,271; female 38,740)
15-64 years: 67% (male 92,830; female 96,814)
65 years and over: 6% (male 6,696; female 9,354) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.36% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 20.58 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.43 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 18.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.25 years
male: 70.94 years
female: 77.64 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.31 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian

Ethnic groups: black 85%, white 15%

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, Creole (among Haitian immigrants)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.2%
male: 98.5%
female: 98% (1995 est.)

Government

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

Data code: BF

Government type: commonwealth

Capital: Nassau

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, Lo