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Capital:
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Nassau
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Population:
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299,697
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)
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Flag
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Background:
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Arawak 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 its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
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Government type:
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constitutional parliamentary democracy
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $5.049 billion (2003 est.)
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Internet users:
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84,000 (2003)
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Map
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Need a place to stay for your vacation to the Bahamas? Find great deals on Bahamas lodging! |
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