Country code: 1 242. Phone cards are sold island-wide for discounted international calls.

Roaming agreements exist with a few international mobile phone companies. Coverage is average. Handsets can be hired locally and prepaid SIM cards are sold.

Many hotels have Internet access and there are plenty of Internet cafes, as well as a few Wi-Fi hotspots. Only 30% of the population is connected, despite growing e-commerce activities.

Postal service to Europe takes up to 10 days.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 and Sat 0900-1230.

A US report, entitled Freedom of the Press 2008: A Global Survey of Media Independence, assessed the degree of press freedom in the Bahamas to rank it 37th in the world.

Although the constitution of the Bahamas guarantees press freedom, pressure has been applied to the media in the past. Newspapers and magazines are mostly privately owned with the government operating a radio network. It also runs the island’s only TV service.

• The four daily newspapers are The Bahama Journal, Freeport News, The Nassau Guardian, and The Tribune.
• The Punch is published twice a week.
• Both Bahamas Tourist News and What’s On Magazine are printed once a month.
• International newspapers are available.

• The government-owned, commercially-run Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas (BCB) – the only television network on the islands - operates ZNS Bahamas.

• Private and commercial stations include Love 97 FM and 100 Jamz.
• ZNS Bahamas, run by BCB, oversees Inspiration 1240, Northern Service, Power 104.5 and Radio Bahamas.