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General Information Area: 13,939 sq km (5382 sq miles). Population: 300,529 (official estimate 2002). Population density: 21.6 per sq km. Capital: Nassau. Population: 212,432 (official census 2000). GEOGRAPHY: The Bahamas consist of 700 low-lying islands, mostly islets (cays or keys) and rocks. The whole archipelago extends 970km (500 miles) southeastward from the coast of Florida, surrounded by clear, colourful waters. The soil is thin, but on the more developed islands, cultivation has produced exotic flowers. On other islands are large areas of pine forest, rocky and barren land, swamp and unspoilt beaches. The Bahamas are divided into two oceanic features, the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank. Government: Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence in 1973. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor-General Dame Ivy Dumont since 2001. Head of Government: Prime Minister Perry Christie since 2002. Language: The official and national language is English. Religion: The three main Christian denominations are Baptist, Anglican and Roman Catholic. Time: GMT - 5. Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60Hz. Communications:   Telephone IDD is available. Country code: 1 242. New Providence and all islands have automatic telephone systems. The state telephone company, BaTelCo, offers both manual- and automatic-dial mobile radio telephones which allow callers to contact ships at sea. Phone cards can be purchased at discounted rates for international calls. Mobile telephone Handsets must be registered with BaTelCo (tel: 394 4000; fax: 394 3573; e-mail: info@batelnet.bs). Visitors will need to purchase a SIM card if their provider has no agreement with BaTelCo. Handsets can be hired locally. Fax This service is available to the public at the Centralised Telephone Office in East Street, Nassau or in Internet cafes. Machines can also be hired. Internet There are a few Internet cafes on Grand Bahama Island and Nassau Island open seven days a week. Laptop connections are available, as are webcams and facilities for scanning and copying. The main ISP is BaTelNet (website: www.batelnet.bs). Telegram Telegrams can be sent from most hotels, Post Offices and the CT Office. Post Postal service to Europe takes up to ten days. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 and Sat 0900-1230. Press The four daily newspapers are the Tribune, the Nassau Guardian, The Bahama Journal and the Freeport News. The Punch is published twice a week. Both What’s On Magazine and Bahamas Tourist News are printed once a month. International newspapers available in The Bahamas include: The Times, The Miami Herald, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today and The Daily Telegraph. BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice): MHz 15.19 12.10 6.195 5.975 Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov): MHz 13.79 9.455 6.130 5.995 From www.columbusguides.com, Copyright © 2004 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Terms and Conditions apply.