Equipped for Economic Progress
The Bahamas government has made infrastructure improvement a national priority and has spent tens of millions of dollars for this purpose since mid-1992, resulting in a modern transportation and telecommunications infrastructure and excellent medical facilities.
Air Transportation
Six major airports in The Bahamas are served by various international airlines, including Delta Airlines, Carnival Airlines, AOM, British Airways, Air Jamaica, and American Eagle, US Air, and Air Canada, allowing direct flights to and from key destinations in Europe, North and South America and the Caribbean, with connections around the globe. Scheduled domestic services by the national airline, Bahamasair, link the island chain, while also providing scheduled service to Florida. Charter services are available to all parts of the archipelago.
- Nassau International Airport has three runways,
the longest of which is 11,000 feet.
- Freeport International Airport, with a runway of
11,000 feet, is considered one of the region's
largest privately-owned airports.
- Both Nassau and Freeport airports are busy 24 hours a day with commercial and private aircraft traffic.
Modern Telecommunications
Telecommunications services in the islands are state-of-the-art. Instantaneous direct international links are provided through a 100-percent digital switching system. International telex, cellular radio telephone, facsimile, automatic radio paging, and private line services are all available.
Roads & Highways
The 3,500 kilometer road and highway system in The Bahamas is well-developed and is constantly being upgraded.
Sea Transportation
Twenty-three seaports dot The Bahamas, allowing for regular shipping connections to the Americas and Europe. The deep-water shipping ports in Nassau and Freeport are major international transshipment centres, servicing both tourism and commerce. Expansion of the Freeport Harbour, a focal point of the 200-square-mile Freeport Free Trade Zone, will be completed in 1998, making Freeport a modern container transshipment terminal.The entrance channel to Nassau harbour is 1 1/2 miles long and 750 feet wide, with a draft of 38 feet at the outer harbour and 14 - 26 feet in the inner harbour. The port is large enough to accommodate most of the world's cruise ships and freighters, while also providing mooring space for small crafts.
Inter-Island Transportation
More than twenty mailboats leave Nassau each week, carrying mail, equipment, and provisions to the Family Islands. One way fare ranges from $16 to $25 for the islands nearest to Nassau.Bahamasair, links the chain of Family Islands to Nassau by air. Sample round-trip airfares from Nassau include: George Town, Exuma - $120.00; Freeport, Grand Bahama Island - $128.00; Eleuthera - $96.00; The Abacos - $120.00; Long Island - $128; and Andros - $84.00.
Medical Facilities
In New Providence, The Princess Margaret Hospital provides a wide range of specialist facilities. There are also two smaller private hospitals, Doctors Hospital and Lyford Cay Hospital, which also offer specialized medical treatment. In addition, hospital facilities exist in Freeport, and numerous clinics are located through the Commonwealth. Resident medical doctors provide health care in the Family Islands.Investment Incentives in The Bahamas Labour Standards in The Bahamas Telecommunications in The Bahamas
