Bahamas Government

The Bahamas is a constitutional democracy whose head of state is the Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II. The queen’s representative in the country’s government is the governor-general who is appointed on the cabinet’s advice. The legal and political traditions of the Bahamas follow closely those found in the UK as well as the Westminster system. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in the Commonwealth realm.

The Parliamentary Registration Department is responsible for running the country’s elections which take place in a parliamentary democracy’s framework. A parliamentary commissioner is the head of the Parliamentary Registration Department. In the Bahamian national elections, voter turnout has been generally high since independence. The commissioner who is responsible for voter registration is chosen by the governor-general. The country had a low voter turnout of 87.9% in 1987 but the participation numbers grew, resulting in a 98.5% turnout in 1997. The country also has an Electoral Broadcasting Council whose responsibilities entail making sure that media report is not biased towards any party.

The parliament currently sits at the national capital which is based in Nassau. The official residency of the Bahamian governor-general is known as Government House and is located in Nassau. The residence was completed in 1806 and is built atop Mount Fitzwilliam. There is no official residence of the prime minister, but the government has plans of building one within the city of Nassau.

Major political parties of the Bahamas include the Democratic National Alliance, the Landslide National Movement, the Free National Movement, and the Progressive Liberal Party.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Nassau
Languages	English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Ethnic Groups	Black 90.6%, white 4.7%, black and white 2.1%, other 1.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)
Religion	Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Brethren 1.6%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)
Government	Parliamentary democracy (Parliament) under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independance	10 July 1973 (from the UK)
Area	13,880.00 km²
Water Area	3,870.00 km²
Land Area	10,010.00 km²
Population	327,316.00 Most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located
Location	chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
GDP(PPP)	$9,066,000,000.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Poland, Cote d'Ivoire, and the United States.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are rock lobster, aragonite, and crude salt.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are the United States, China, and Japan.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and transport equipment, as well as chemicals.
Climate	Tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain	Long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Learn More	Bahamas

Bahamas Government

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