Bahamas

 Map of Bahamas

Country name	Conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Capital	Nassau
Population	316,182 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.03 male(s)/female Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Religions	Protestant 67.6% (Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%), Roman Catholic 13.5%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)
Nationality	Bahamian(s)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
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.)
Location	Chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean
Area	Total: 13,880 sq km Land: 10,010 sq km Water: 3,870 sq km
Area - comparative	Slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries	0 km
Coastline	3,542 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island 63 m
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Exports - commodities	mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables
Imports – commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals
Land use	arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005)
Irrigated land	10 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	NA
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements	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
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited