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Ba·ha·mas (bə-hä'məz)  also Ba·ha·ma Islands
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| Bahamas |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: The Bahamas |
For more information on The Bahamas, visit Britannica.com.
| British History: Bahamas |
These islands lie off the coast of Florida and form an independent state within the Commonwealth. The larger islands include Grand Bahama and Andros: the capital, Nassau, is situated on New Providence Island. The economy depends greatly on tourism and on the large mercantile fleet flying the Bahamian flag.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: the Bahamas |
Land and People
The islands, composed mainly of limestone and coral, rise from a vast submarine plateau. Most are generally low and flat, riverless, with many mangrove swamps, brackish lakes (connected with the ocean by underground passages), and coral reefs and shoals. Fresh water is obtained from rainfall and from desalinization. Navigation is hazardous, and many of the outer islands are uninhabited and undeveloped, although steps have been taken to improve transportation facilities. Hurricanes occasionally cause severe damage, but the climate is generally excellent. In addition to New Providence, other main islands are Grand Bahama, Great and Little Abaco (see Abaco and Cays), the Biminis, Andros, Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador, Great and Little Exuma (Exuma and Cays), Long Island, Crooked Island, Acklins Island, Mayaguana, and Great and Little Inagua (see Inagua).
The population is primarily of African and mixed African and European descent; some 12% is of European heritage, with small minorities of Asian and Hispanic descent. More than three quarters of the people belong to one of several Protestant denominations and nearly 15% are Roman Catholic. English is the official language. The Bahamas have a relatively low illiteracy rate. The government provides free education through the secondary level; the College of the Bahamas was established in 1974, although most Bahamians who seek a higher education study in Jamaica or elsewhere.
Economy
The islands' vivid subtropical atmosphere-brilliant sky and sea, lush vegetation, flocks of bright-feathered birds, and submarine gardens where multicolored fish swim among white, rose, yellow, and purple coral-as well as rich local color and folklore, has made the Bahamas one of the most popular resorts in the hemisphere. The islands' many casinos are an additional attraction, and tourism is by far the country's most important industry, providing 60% of the gross domestic product and employing about half of the workforce. Financial services are the nation's other economic mainstay, although many international businesses left after new government regulations on the financial sector were imposed in late 2000. Salt, rum, aragonite, and pharmaceuticals are produced, and these, along with animal products and chemicals, are the chief exports. The Bahamas also possess facilities for the transshipment of petroleum. The country's main trading partners are the United States and Spain. Since the 1960s, the transport of illegal narcotic drugs has been a problem, as has the flow of illegal refugees from other islands.
Government
The Bahamas are governed under the constitution of 1973 and have a parliamentary form of government. There is a bicameral legislature consisting of a 16-seat Senate and a 40-seat House of Assembly. The prime minister is the head of government, and the monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, represented by an appointed governor-general, is the titular head of state. The nation is divided into 21 administrative districts.
History
Before the arrival of Europeans, the Bahamas were inhabited by the Lucayos, a group of Arawaks. Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World in the Bahamas (1492), presumably at San Salvador, and claimed the islands for Spain. Although the Lucayos were not hostile, they were soon exterminated by the Spanish, who did not in fact colonize the islands.
The first settlements were made in the mid-17th cent. by the English. In 1670 the islands were granted to the lords proprietors of Carolina, who did not relinquish their claim until 1787, although Woodes Rogers, the first royal governor, was appointed in 1717. Under Rogers the pirates and buccaneers, notably Blackbeard, who frequented the Bahama waters, were driven off. The Spanish attacked the islands several times, and an American force held Nassau for a short time in 1776. In 1781 the Spanish captured Nassau and took possession of the whole colony, but under the terms of the Treaty of Paris (1783) the islands were ceded to Great Britain.
After the American Revolution many Loyalists settled in the Bahamas, bringing with them black slaves to labor on cotton plantations. Plantation life gradually died out after the emancipation of slaves in 1834. Blockade-running into Southern ports in the U.S. Civil War enriched some of the islanders, and during the prohibition era in the United States the Bahamas became a base for rum-running.
The United States leased areas for bases in the Bahamas in World War II and in 1950 signed an agreement with Great Britain for the establishment of a proving ground and a tracking station for guided missiles. In 1955 a free trade area was established at the town of Freeport. It proved enormously successful in stimulating tourism and has attracted offshore banking.
In the 1950s black Bahamians, through the Progressive Liberal party (PLP), began to oppose successfully the ruling white-controlled United Bahamian party; but it was not until the 1967 elections that they were able to win control of the government. The Bahamas were granted limited self-government as a British crown colony in 1964, broadened (1969) through the efforts of Prime Minister Lynden O. Pindling. The PLP, campaigning on a platform of immediate independence, won an overwhelming victory in the 1972 elections and negotiations with Britain were begun.
On July 10, 1973, the Bahamas became a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations. In 1992, after 25 years as prime minister and facing recurrent charges of corruption and ties to drug traffickers, Pindling was defeated by Hubert Ingraham of the Free National Movement (FNM). A feeble economy, mostly due to a decrease in tourism and the poor management of state-owned industries, was Ingraham's main policy concern. Ingraham was returned to office in 1997 with an ironclad majority, but lost power in 2002 when the PLP triumphed at the polls and PLP leader Perry Christie replaced Ingraham as prime minister. Concern over the government's readiness to accommodate the tourist industry contributed to the PLP's losses in the 2007 elections, and Ingraham and the FNM regained power.
Bibliography
See H. P. Mitchell, Caribbean Patterns (2d ed. 1970); J. E. Moore, Pelican Guide to the Bahamas (1988).
| Geography: Bahamas |
| Dialing Code: Bahamas |
The international dialing code for Bahamas is: 242
Note: When calling this country from North America, do not use the 011 prefix. Simply treat the country code as if it were a U.S. area code.
| Local Time: Bahamas |
| Currency: Bahamas |
| Statistics: Bahamas, The |
| Background: | Lucayan 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 Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. |
| Location: | Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba |
| Geographic coordinates: | 24 15 N, 76 00 W |
| Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area: | total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 3,542 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
| Terrain: | long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
| Natural resources: | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
| Land use: | arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 10 sq km (2003) |
| Total renewable water resources: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage |
| Environment - current issues: | coral reef decay; solid waste disposal |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited |
| Population: | 309,156 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 25.9% (male 40,085/female 39,959) 15-64 years: 67.2% (male 102,154/female 105,482) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 8,772/female 12,704) (2009 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 28.7 years male: 27.9 years female: 29.5 years (2009 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.536% (2009 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 16.81 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 84% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 23.17 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 65.78 years male: 62.63 years female: 68.98 years (2009 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.1 children born/woman (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3% (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 6,200 (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 200 (2007 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian |
| Ethnic groups: | black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
| Religions: | Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census) |
| Languages: | English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
| Education expenditures: | 3.6% of GDP (2000) |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas |
| Government type: | constitutional parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm |
| Capital: | name: Nassau geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November |
| Administrative divisions: | 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay |
| Independence: | 10 July 1973 (from the UK) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 10 July (1973) |
| Constitution: | 10 July 1973 |
| Legal system: | based on English common law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be held by May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18 |
| Judicial branch: | Privy Council in London; Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; Magistrates' Courts |
| Political parties and leaders: | Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Friends of the Environment other: trade unions |
| International organization participation: | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau, New Providence mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 328-2206 |
| Flag description: | three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side |
| Economy - overview: | The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006 and will likely drop even further in 2009. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. To help offset the effect of the global economic downturn, particularly on employment, the INGRAHAM administration plans to engage in infrastructure projects. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $8.779 billion (2008 est.) $8.649 billion (2007) $8.413 billion (2006) note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $6.935 billion (2008 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.5% (2008 est.) 2.8% (2007 est.) 4.6% (2006 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $28,600 (2008 est.) $28,300 (2007 est.) $27,700 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.) |
| Labor force: | 181,900 (2006) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 7.6% (2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 9.3% (2004) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: 27% (2000) |
| Budget: | revenues: $1.03 billion expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 July - 30 June |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.4% (2007 est.) |
| Central bank discount rate: | 5.25% (31 December 2007) |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate: | 5.5% (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of money: | $1.274 billion (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of quasi money: | $4.324 billion (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of domestic credit: | $7.395 billion (31 December 2007) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Agriculture - products: | citrus, vegetables; poultry |
| Industries: | tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 2.05 billion kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 1.793 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 26,830 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | transshipments of 38,740 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - imports: | 69,780 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$1.442 billion (2007 est.) |
| Exports: | $674 million (2006) |
| Exports - commodities: | mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables |
| Exports - partners: | US 20.4%, Singapore 15.5%, Spain 14.5%, Poland 14.3%, Germany 6.6%, Guatemala 5.7%, Switzerland 5.2% (2007) |
| Imports: | $2.401 billion (2006) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals |
| Imports - partners: | US 26.7%, South Korea 14.1%, Japan 13.5%, Italy 7.5%, Singapore 5.2%, Venezuela 4.5%, Spain 4.3% (2007) |
| Debt - external: | $342.6 million (2004 est.) |
| Currency (code): | Bahamian dollar (BSD) |
| Currency code: | BSD |
| Exchange rates: | Bahamian dollars (BSD) per US dollar - 1 (2008 est.), 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004) |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 132,900 (2007) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 374,000 (2007) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: modern facilities domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 (2007) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006) |
| Radios: | 215,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 2 (2006) |
| Televisions: | 67,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .bs |
| Internet hosts: | 41 (2008) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 19 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 120,000 (2007) |
| Airports: | 62 (2008) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 23 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (2008) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 39 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 22 (2008) |
| Heliports: | 1 (2007) |
| Roadways: | total: 2,717 km paved: 1,560 km unpaved: 1,157 km (2002) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 1,223 by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 210, cargo 226, carrier 2, chemical tanker 88, combination ore/oil 12, container 65, liquefied gas 77, passenger 109, passenger/cargo 35, petroleum tanker 209, refrigerated cargo 119, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 51 foreign-owned: 1,150 (Angola 6, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 2, Canada 84, China 10, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 25, Denmark 67, Finland 9, France 30, Germany 44, Greece 209, Hong Kong 30, Iceland 1, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 4, Japan 87, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 13, Monaco 15, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 9, Nigeria 2, Norway 189, Poland 17, Russia 4, Saudi Arabia 16, Singapore 17, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 14, Sweden 4, Switzerland 1, Thailand 5, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 8, UAE 23, UK 56, US 106, Venezuela 1) registered in other countries: 12 (Bolivia 1, Panama 9, Peru 1, Portugal 1) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point |
| Military branches: | Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2009) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.); no conscription (2008) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 80,200 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 50,764 females age 16-49: 51,690 (2009 est.) |
| Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | male: 2,992 female: 3,003 (2009 est.) |
| Military expenditures: | 0.5% of GDP (2006) |
| Disputes - international: | disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters |
| Illicit drugs: | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center |
| National Anthem: National Anthem of: Bahamas |
Lift up your head to the rising sun, Bahamaland,
March on to glory, your bright banners waving high,
See how the world marks the manner of your bearing;
Pledge to excel thro' love and unity.
Pressing onward, march together, to a common loftier goal;
Steady sunward tho' the weather hide the wide and treacherous shoal.
Lift up your head to the rising sun, Bahamaland,
'til the road you've trod lead unto your God, March on Bahamaland.
| Wikipedia: The Bahamas |
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The Bahamas (pronounced /ðə bəˈhɑːməz/), officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is an English-speaking country consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 orcs. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States of America. Its size is almost 14 000 km² with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau. It is a Commonwealth realm.
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Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 7th century AD. These people came to be known as the Lucayans. There were an estimated 30,000+ Lucayans at the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492. Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the New World was on an island named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans as Guanahani), which is generally accepted to be present-day San Salvador Island, (also known as Watling's Island) in the southeastern Bahamas. An alternative theory is that Columbus landed to the southeast on Samana Cay, according to calculations made in 1986 by National Geographic writer and editor Joseph Judge based on Columbus's log; this remains inconclusive. On the island, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.
The Spaniards who followed Columbus depopulated the islands, carrying most of the indigenous people off into slavery. The Lucayans throughout the Bahamas were wiped out by exposure to diseases to which they had no immunity.[5] The smallpox that ravaged the Taino Indians after Columbus's arrival wiped out half of the population in what is now the Bahamas.[6] It is generally assumed that the islands were uninhabited until the mid-17th century. However, recent research suggests that there may have been attempts to settle the islands by groups from Spain, France, and Britain, as well as by other Amerindians. In 1648, the Eleutherian Adventurers migrated from Bermuda. These English Puritans established the first permanent European settlement on an island which they named Eleuthera—the name derives from the Greek word for freedom. They later settled New Providence, naming it Sayle's Island after one of their leaders. To survive, the settlers resorted to salvaged goods from wrecks.
In 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas, who rented the islands from the king with rights of trading, tax, appointing governors, and administering the country.[7]
During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard. To restore orderly government, the Bahamas were made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers, who, after a difficult struggle, succeeded in suppressing piracy.[8]
During the American Revolutionary War, the islands were a target for American naval forces under the command of Commodore Ezekial Hopkins. The capital of Nassau on the island of New Providence was occupied by US Marines for a fortnight.
In 1782, after the British defeat at Yorktown, a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau, which surrendered without fight. But the 1783 Treaty of Versailles—which ended the global conflict between Britain, France and Spain—returned the Bahamas to British sovereignty.
After the American Revolution, some 7,300 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas from New York, Florida and the Carolinas. These Americans established plantations on several islands and became a political force in the capital. The small population became mostly African from this point on.
The British abolished the slave trade in 1807, which led to the forced settlement on Bahamian islands of thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy. Slavery itself was finally abolished in the British Empire on August 1, 1834.
Modern political development began after the Second World War. The first political parties were formed in the 1950s and the British made the islands internally self-governing in 1964, with Roland Symonette of the United Bahamian Party as the first premier.
In 1967, Lynden Pindling of the Progressive Liberal Party became the first black premier of the colony, and in 1968 the title was changed to prime minister. In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent, but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Sir Milo Butler was appointed the first black governor-general (the representative of Queen Elizabeth II) shortly after independence.
Based on the twin pillars of tourism and offshore finance, the Bahamian economy has prospered since the 1950s. However, there remain significant challenges in areas such as education, health care, international narcotics trafficking and illegal immigration from Haiti.
The origin of the name "Bahamas" is unclear. It may derive from the Spanish baja mar, meaning "shallow seas";[citation needed] or the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma "large upper middle land".[citation needed]
The closest island to the United States is Bimini, which is also known as the gateway to the Bahamas. The island of Abaco is to the east of Grand Bahama, also known as the "Big Island". The southeasternmost island is Great Inagua. Other notable islands include the Bahamas' largest island, Andros Island, and Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma and Mayaguana. Nassau, the Bahamas capital city, lies on the island of New Providence.
All the islands are low and flat, with ridges that usually rise no more than 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft). The highest point in the country is Mount Alvernia, formerly called Como Hill, which has an altitude of 63 metres (210 ft) on Cat Island. To the southeast, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and three more extensive submarine features called Mouchoir Bank, Silver Bank, and Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation of the Bahamas, but not part of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.[citation needed]
| Wettest tropical cyclones in the Bahamas |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation | Storm | Location | ||
| Rank | (mm) | (in) | ||
| 1 | 747.5 | 29.43 | Noel 2007 | Long Island[9] |
| 2 | 508.0 | 20.00 | Donna 1960 | [10] |
| 3 | 436.6 | 17.19 | Flora 1963 | Duncan Town[11] |
| 4 | 390.1 | 15.36 | Inez 1966 | Nassau Airport[11] |
| 5 | 321.1 | 12.64 | Michelle 2001 | Nassau[12] |
| 6 | 309.4 | 12.18 | Erin 1995 | Church Grove[13] |
| 7 | 279.4 | 10.00 | Isidore 1984 | Nassau[14] |
| 8 | 260.0 | 9.88 | Fay 2008 | Freeport[15] |
| 9 | 236.7 | 9.32 | Floyd 1999 | Little Harbor Abacos[16] |
| 10 | 216.4 | 8.52 | Cleo 1964 | West End[11] |
The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical, and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter.[17] Conversely, this often proves very dangerous in the summer and autumn, when hurricanes pass near or through the islands. Hurricane Andrew hit the northern islands during the 1992 Atlantic hurricane season, and Hurricane Floyd hit most of the islands during the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Frances hit in 2004; the Atlantic hurricane season of 2004 was expected to be the worst ever for the islands. Also in 2004, the northern Bahamas were hit by a less potent Hurricane Jeanne. In 2005 the northern islands were once again struck, this time by Hurricane Wilma. In Grand Bahama, storm surges and high winds destroyed homes and schools, floated graves and made roughly 1,000 people homeless, most of whom lived on the west coast of the island.
While there has never been a freeze reported in the Bahamas, the temperature can fall as low as 2–3 °C during Arctic outbreaks that affect nearby Florida. Snow has been reported to have mixed with rain in Freeport in January, 1977, the same time that it snowed in the Miami area. The temperature was about 5 °C at the time.[citation needed]
The districts of the Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere in The Bahamas except New Providence, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government. The districts other than New Providence are:
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The Bahamas is a sovereign independent nation. Political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom and the Westminster system.
The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state (represented by a Governor-General).
Legislative power is vested in a bicameral parliament, which consists of a 41-member House of Assembly (the lower house), with members elected from single-member districts, and a 16-member Senate, with members appointed by the governor-general, including nine on the advice of the prime minister, four on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and three on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition. The House of Assembly carries out all major legislative functions. As under the Westminster system, the prime minister may dissolve parliament and call a general election at any time within a five-year term.
The Prime Minister is the head of government and is the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the cabinet, selected by the Prime Minister and drawn from his supporters in the House of Assembly. The current Governor-General is Arthur Dion Hanna and the current Prime Minister is Hubert Ingraham.
The Bahamas has a largely two-party system dominated by the centre-left Progressive Liberal Party and the centre-right Free National Movement. A handful of splinter parties have been unable to win election to parliament. These parties have included the Bahamas Democratic Movement, the Coalition for Democratic Reform and the Bahamian Nationalist Party.
Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. Although the Bahamas is not geographically located in the Caribbean, it is a member of the Caribbean Community. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Jurisprudence is based on English law.
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Population: 309,156 (July 2009 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 25.9% (male 40,085; female 38,959) 15–64 years: 67.2% (male 102,154; female 105,482) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 8,772; female 12,704) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.536% (2009 est.)
Birth rate: 16.81 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate: 9.32 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.87 years. Female: 73.49 years (2002 est.) Male: 66.32 years
Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s)
Adjective: Bahamian (pronounced /bəˈheɪmɪən/)
Ethnic groups: 85% Black, 12% White, 3% Asian
Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%[18] The 'other' category includes Jews, Muslims, Baha'is, Hindus, Rastafarians, and practitioners of Obeah.[19]
Languages: English (official), Bahamian Dialect[20],
Literacy (age 15+): total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)[21]
In the less developed outer islands, handicrafts include basketry made from palm fronds. This material, commonly called "straw", is plaited into hats and bags that are popular tourist items. Another use is for so-called "Voodoo dolls," even though such dolls are the result of the American imagination and not based on historic fact.[22]
Obeah, a religion of folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central and West African origins, is practiced in some of the Family Islands (out-islands) of the Bahamas.
Junkanoo is a street parade of music, dance, and art held in many cities of the Bahamas every Boxing Day, New Year's Day and also held for other holidays such as Fox Hill Day.
Regattas are important social events in many family island settlements. They usually feature one or more days of sailing by old-fashioned work boats, as well as an onshore festival.
Some settlements have festivals associated with the traditional crop or food of that area, such as the "Pineapple Fest" in Gregory Town, Eleuthera or the "Crab Fest" on Andros. Other significant traditions include story telling.
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| Translations: Bahamas |
Français (French)
n. - Bahamas
Português (Portuguese)
n. - Ilhas Bahamas
Español (Spanish)
n. - Bahamas
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
巴哈马
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 巴哈馬
한국어 (Korean)
바하마 (Bahama Islands로 이루어진 공화국; 수도 Nassau)
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