Bahamas

__**Good job citing your sources, but everything MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS.**__ __**Bahamas**__

**History**- The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is a group of some 700 Islands and nearly 2,500 small islets or cays. Approximately 30 of these Islands are inhabited.The two major population centers are the capital, Nassau which is located on New Providence Island and Freeport, located on Grand Bahama Island. **(1)** **Government-** The Bahamas has an independent government under the Commonwealth of Nations that they are apart. Their political and legal rules closely follow the one that are in the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in the Bahamas, while an appointed Governor General serves as the Queen's representative in The Bahamas. A bicameral legislature enacts laws under the 1973 constitution.**(2)** **Location**- The Bahamas is located in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern side of the Caribbean. The Bahamas is 45 miles southeast part of Florida. It has 5,382 square miles of land and is a little bit smaller than Connecticut. The island has a total coastline of 1,368 square miles. The largest city is Nassau which is the capital and the second largest city is Freeport.**(3)** (Inches) || media type="youtube" key="fItfsLfVFmQ" height="349" width="425"
 * Climate-﻿ **The climate in the Bahamas is a tropical maritime climate which gives the country good all year-round weather. The temperature reacher to only about 75 degrees during the day time**.** The humidity there is very average at around 65% per year. The temperatures here are perfect throught the entire year. The summers are great and are kept from getting really hot because of the cool wind that is coming from the ocean**.(4)**
 * Months || Temp(*C) || Temp(*F) || Humidity(%) || Rainfall
 * January || 70 || 21 || 65 || 1.85" ||
 * Febuary || 70 || 21 || 62 || 1.70" ||
 * March || 72 || 22 || 61 || 1.50" ||
 * April || 76 || 24 || 61 || 1.90" ||
 * May || 77 || 25 || 66 || 4.60" ||
 * June || 80 || 27 || 66 || 8.9" ||
 * July || 82 || 28 || 62 || 5.90" ||
 * August || 82 || 28 || 61 || 6.2" ||
 * September || 81 || 27 || 64 || 7.5" ||
 * October || 78 || 26 || 68 || 8.10" ||
 * November || 75 || 24 || 62 || 2.4" ||
 * December || 70 || 21 || 66 || 1.30" ||



Bahamians are **mainly of African descent ** - 85 percent black and 15 percent white and mixed. The white population are descended mainly from the early English settlers who arrived on the Island of Eleuthera in 1648. Many can also trace their roots back to the American Loyalists who after 1783 fled the newly independent States with their slaves. //15-64 years: // 66.5% (male 99,961/female 103,230) //65 years and over: // 6.5% (male 8,176/female 11,834) (2007 est.) || //under 15 years: // 1.002 male(s)/female //15-64 years: // 0.968 male(s)/female //65 years and over: // 0.691 male(s)/female //total population: // 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.) || //male: // 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births //female: // 18.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) || //male: // 62.37 years //female: // 69.02 years (2007 est.) || adjective: Bahamian || //male: // 94.7% //female: // 96.5% (2003 est.) || (5)
 * < **Population: ** ||< 305,655 (July 2007 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Age structure: ** ||< //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">0-14 years: // 27% (male 41,268/female 41,186)
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Population growth rate: ** ||< 0.602% (2007 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Birth rate: ** ||< 17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Death rate: ** ||< 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Net migration rate: ** ||< -2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Sex ratio: ** ||< //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">at birth: // 1.02 male(s)/female
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Infant mortality rate: ** ||< //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">total: // 24.17 deaths/1,000 live births
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Life expectancy at birth: ** ||< //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">total population: // 65.66 years
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Total fertility rate: ** ||< 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Nationality: ** ||< noun: Bahamian(s)
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ethnic groups: ** ||< black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Religions: ** ||< Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Languages: ** ||< English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Literacy (age 15+): ** ||< //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">total population: // 95.6%

**Economy** The Bahamian economy is based primarily on tourism, which is concentrated mainly in Nassau and Grand Bahama. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, tourism and construction are largely responsible for a real GDP growth of about 4 percent annually since 1996. Another important economic sector is financial services, which places the Bahamas among the world's leading financial centers. After the impact from Hurricane Floyd, this sector was back to full strength in less than three working days and made a tremendous contribution to disaster relief efforts, both individually and through financial organizations.(6)

industry: 7% services: 90% (1999 est.) || expenditures: $956.5 million, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY99/00) || hydro: 0% solar: < 0.01% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% || (6)
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">GDP ** ||< purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">GDP - real growth rate ** ||< 3.5% (2001) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">GDP - per capita ** ||< purchasing power parity - $16,800 (2000 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">GDP - composition by sector ** ||< agriculture: 3%
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Inflation rate (consumer prices) ** ||< 1.5% (2001 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Labor force ** ||< 156,000 (1999) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Labor force - by occupation ** ||< tourism 40%, other services 50%, industry 5%, agriculture 5% (1995 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Unemployment rate ** ||< 6.9% (2001 est.) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Budget ** ||< revenues: $918.5 million
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Industries ** ||< tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Industrial production growth rate ** ||< NA% ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Electricity production ** ||< 1.54 billion kWh (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Electricity production by source ** ||< fossil fuel: 100%
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Electricity consumption ** ||< 1.432 billion kWh (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Agriculture products ** ||< citrus, vegetables; poultry ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Exports ** ||< $535.8 million (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Exports commodities ** ||< fish and crawfish; rum, salt, chemicals; fruit and vegetables (1999) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Exports - partners ** ||< US 28.2%, France 16.5%, Germany 14.1%, UK 12.4% (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Imports ** ||< $1.88 billion (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Imports commodities ** ||< machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals (1999) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Imports - partners ** ||< US 31.6%, South Korea 18.2%, Italy 17.4%, Japan 5.8% (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Debt - external ** ||< $381.9 million (2000) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Economic aid recipient ** ||< $9.8 million (1995) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Currency ** ||< Bahamian dollar (BSD) ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: right; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Exchange rates ** ||< Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the dollar) ||

(1)[] (2)http://www.traveldocs.com/bs/govern.htm (3)http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/The-Bahamas.html (4) [] (5)<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: auto;">[] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: auto;">(6) []

Chris Bolden and Joe McKenzie