fiber-optic link transits Azerbaijan providing international
connectivity to neighboring countries; the old Soviet system of
cable and microwave is still serviceable; satellite earth stations -
2 (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)
Internet country code:
.az
Internet hosts:
7,045 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 130
Internet users:
1.485 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 75
Transportation ::Azerbaijan
Airports:
34 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 111
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 27
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
condensate 1 km; gas 3,361 km; oil 1,424 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 2,122 km
country comparison to the world: 71
broad gauge: 2,122 km 1.520-m gauge (1,278 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 59,141 km
country comparison to the world: 74
paved: 29,210 km
unpaved: 29,931 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 89
country comparison to the world: 52
by type: cargo 26, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 9, petroleum tanker
46, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 3
registered in other countries: 3 (Malta 2, Panama 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Baku (Baki)
Military ::Azerbaijan
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
men between 18 and 35 are liable for military service; 18 years of
age for voluntary military service; length of military service is 18
months and 12 months for university graduates (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,278,888
females age 16-49: 2,291,770 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,727,464
females age 16-49: 1,944,260 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 90,416
female: 85,344 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Transnational Issues ::Azerbaijan
Disputes - international:
Armenia supports ethnic Armenian secessionists in Nagorno-Karabakh
and since the early 1990s has militarily occupied 16% of Azerbaijan;
over 800,000 mostly ethnic Azerbaijanis were driven from the
occupied lands and Armenia; about 230,000 ethnic Armenians were
driven from their homes in Azerbaijan into Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh; Azerbaijan seeks transit route through Armenia to
connect to Naxcivan exclave; Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) continues to mediate dispute;
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia have ratified Caspian seabed
delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to
insist on an even one-fifth allocation and challenges Azerbaijan's
hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters; bilateral talks continue
with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in
the middle of the Caspian; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to
discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 2,400 (Russia)
IDPs: 580,000-690,000 (conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh)
(2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit
country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; women and some
children from Azerbaijan are trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for
the purpose of sexual exploitation; men and boys are trafficked to
Russia for the purpose of forced labor; Azerbaijan serves as a
transit country for victims from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
and Moldova trafficked to Turkey and the UAE for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Azerbaijan is on the Tier 2 Watch
List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking in persons, particularly efforts to investigate,
prosecute, and punish traffickers; to address complicity among law
enforcement personnel; and to adequately identify and protect
victims in Azerbaijan; the government has yet to develop a
much-needed mechanism to identify potential trafficking victims and
refer them to safety and care; poor treatment of trafficking victims
in courtrooms continues to be a problem (2008)
Illicit drugs:
limited illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for
CIS consumption; small government eradication program; transit point
for Southwest Asian opiates bound for Russia and to a lesser extent
the rest of Europe
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bahamas, The (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Bahamas, The
Background:
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS
first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British
settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony
in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The
Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and
investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a
major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments
to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling
illegal migrants into the US.
Geography ::Bahamas, The
Location:
Caribbean, 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
country comparison to the world: 160
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
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
People ::Bahamas, The
Population:
309,156
country comparison to the world: 176
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
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.9% (male 40,085/female 39,959)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 102,154/female 105,482)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 8,772/female 12,704) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.7 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 29.5 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.536% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Birth rate:
16.81 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Death rate:
9.32 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Net migration rate:
-2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Urbanization:
urban population: 84% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 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 (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.17 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 93
male: 28.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.78 years
country comparison to the world: 164
male: 62.63 years
female: 68.98 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Nationality:
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian
Ethnic groups:
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Religions:
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)
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.)
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2000)
country comparison to the world: 125
Government ::Bahamas, The
Country name:
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Capital:
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
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, Long Island, Marsh
Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands,
Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador, and Rum Cay
Independence:
10 July 1973 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
Constitution:
10 July 1973
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February
2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May
2007)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime
minister's recommendation
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister
recommends the deputy prime minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members
appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime
minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the
House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote
to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the
parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%;
seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18
Judicial branch:
Privy Council in London; Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court;
Magistrates' Courts
Political parties and leaders:
Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal
Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Friends of the Environment
other: trade unions
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660
FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence
mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197,
Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC
20521-3370
telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours)
FAX: [1] (242) 328-2206
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and
aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist
side; the band colors represent the golden beaches of the islands
surrounded by the aquamarine sea; black represents the vigor and
force of a united people, while the pointing triangle indicates the
enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop the
rich resources of land and sea
Economy ::Bahamas, The
Economy - overview:
The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an
economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism
together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts
for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half
of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts
and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences
had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals
have been on the decline since 2006 and will likely drop even
further in 2009. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the
source of more than 80% of the visitors. To help offset the effect
of the global economic downturn, particularly on employment, the
INGRAHAM administration plans to engage in infrastructure projects.
Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of
the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services,
account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the
government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many
international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and
agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and
show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those
sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on
the fortunes of the tourism sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$9.352 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
$9.495 billion (2007 est.)
$9.236 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.564 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
2.8% (2007 est.)
4.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$30,700 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
$31,400 (2007 est.)
$30,900 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3%
industry: 7%
services: 90% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
175,500 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 168
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005
est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.6% (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Population below poverty line:
9.3% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: 27% (2000)
Budget:
revenues: $1.03 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Central bank discount rate:
5.25% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 81
5.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.5% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 138
5.5% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.255 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 82
$1.274 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.637 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 71
$4.324 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$7.883 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 77
$7.395 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables; poultry
Industries:
tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite,
pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
2.045 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
Electricity - consumption:
1.902 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Oil - consumption:
34,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
Oil - exports:
transshipments of 41,570 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
Oil - imports:
72,420 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 53
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
Current account balance:
-$1.442 billion (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
Exports:
$674 million (2006)
country comparison to the world: 159
Exports - commodities:
mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit
and vegetables
Exports - partners:
US 21.6%, Singapore 19%, Poland 18.2%, Germany 7.7%, Japan 7.5%
(2008)
Imports:
$2.401 billion (2006)
country comparison to the world: 145
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral
fuels; food and live animals
Imports - partners:
US 25.1%, South Korea 18.8%, Japan 16.4%, Singapore 7.3%, Venezuela
5% (2008)
Debt - external:
$342.6 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Exchange rates:
Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2008 est.), 1 (2007), 1
(2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004)
Communications ::Bahamas, The
Telephones - main lines in use:
133,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 138
Telephones - mobile cellular:
358,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 164
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas
Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed
to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet
services
international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable
that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the
Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2006)
Internet country code:
.bs
Internet hosts:
8,325 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 122
Internet users:
106,500 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 151
Transportation ::Bahamas, The
Airports:
62 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 79
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 23
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 22 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 2,717 km
country comparison to the world: 168
paved: 1,560 km
unpaved: 1,157 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 1,223
country comparison to the world: 6
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 210, cargo 226, carrier 2,
chemical tanker 88, combination ore/oil 12, container 65, liquefied
gas 77, passenger 109, passenger/cargo 35, petroleum tanker 209,
refrigerated cargo 119, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 3,
vehicle carrier 51
foreign-owned: 1,150 (Angola 6, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 2,
Canada 84, China 10, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 25, Denmark 67,
Finland 9, France 30, Germany 44, Greece 209, Hong Kong 30, Iceland
1, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 4, Japan 87, Jordan
2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 15, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 9,
Nigeria 2, Norway 189, Poland 17, Russia 4, Saudi Arabia 16,
Singapore 17, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 14, Sweden 4,
Switzerland 1, Thailand 5, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 8, UAE 23,
UK 56, US 106, Venezuela 1)
registered in other countries: 12 (Bolivia 1, Panama 9, Peru 1,
Portugal 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point
Military ::Bahamas, The
Military branches:
Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 80,200 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 50,764
females age 16-49: 51,690 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,992
female: 3,003 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 160
Transnational Issues ::Bahamas, The
Disputes - international:
disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a
potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug
dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and
Europe; offshore financial center
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Bahrain (Middle East)
Introduction ::Bahrain
Background:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians.
In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of
treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a
British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in
1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf
countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign
affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has
transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD
bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic
and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community.
Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and
municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society,
won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the
legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years
with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
Geography ::Bahrain
Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 741 sq km
country comparison to the world: 190
land: 741 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm