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Source: CIA World Factbook
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Capital
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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
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Country Name
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conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
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Background
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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.
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Branches
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Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2010)
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 24.9% (male 39,169/female 38,043)
15-64 years: 69% (male 105,384/female 108,808)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 7,277/female 11,745) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
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Population
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310,426
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 2010 est.)
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Religions
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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)
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Internet Users
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106,500 (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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slightly smaller than Connecticut
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Area
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total: 13,880 sq km
land: 10,010 sq km
water: 3,870 sq km
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Terrain
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long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
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Climate
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tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
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Natural Hazards
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hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
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