About Bahamas

- Area: 13,900 sq km of land area (including 3,870 square miles of lakes and lagoons), divided into some 700 islands and islets (cays).

- Population: about 330,000 inhabitants (estimate 2010).

- Capital: Nassau on New Providence Island. This includes the three-quarters of people in the country!

- Ethnic groups: 85% of the inhabitants of the Bahamas are of African descent, 12% are white, 3% Hispanic and Asian immigration recently. Among whites, there is the presence of a Greek community.

- Plan: independence from Great Britain since 1973, member of the Commonwealth.

- Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

- Governor General Arthur Foulkes (since April 2010). It officially designates the Prime Minister (from the party that won the legislative) and the cabinet.

- Head of government: Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham Conservative (May 2007).

- Human rights: the latest report from Amnesty International refers to a use of force sometimes disproportionate to the police, and abuse against asylum seekers and migrants. The case of Haitian workers is by far the most sensitive. Some sentenced to death had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment under the effect of a specific court Commonwealth, but the main political leaders still opposed to the Bahamas worldwide moratorium against capital punishment.

Economy

It relies heavily on tourism and its effects on other sectors. Tourism accounts for nearly 60% of GDP and half of its jobs. After years of uninterrupted growth, the country is currently suffering from global crisis - especially its effects in the United States, its largest market (half of the tourists).

The other udder of the local economy is the financial services sector (20% of GDP). The Bahamas are among the major tax havens used by multinational and large fortunes to evade taxes. History of giving confidence, the Central Bank of the Bahamas also proudly announces a figure of 1 000 billion values ​​administered locally ...

In addition to tourism and offshore banking, point out the sale of flags of convenience.Industry and agriculture, low productivity, complete the panorama.

The Bahamas show the per capita income highest in the Caribbean ($ 30,700 in 2008). The year 2009 ended with a negative growth of around -3.9%.