The Bahamas The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Flag
Motto: "Forward, Upward, Onward Together"
Anthem: "March On, Bahamaland" Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"
Capital		Nassau 25°4′N 77°20′W / 25.067, -77.333
Official languages		English
Demonym		Bahamian
Government		Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
-	Monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
-	Governor-General	Arthur Dion Hanna
-	Prime Minister	Hubert Ingraham
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Self-governing	1964
-	Full independence	July 10, 1973
Area
-	Total	13,878 km² (160th) 5,358 sq mi
-	Water (%)	28%
Population
-	2007 estimate	330,549[1] (177th)
-	1990 census	254,685
-	Density	23. The Flag of the Bahamas has an approximately 12 aspect ratio The black equilateral triangle on the left represents the unity and determination of the people of the Bahamas A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's March On Bahamaland is the National anthem of the Bahamas. It was composed by Timothy Gibson and adopted in 1973. A royal anthem is a patriotic song much like a National anthem but specifically praising or praying for a Monarch or royal dynasty "God Save the Queen", or "God Save the King", is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms It is the National Nassau is the Capital, largest city and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Bahamians are people of the Bahamas. It's the plural of the word Bahamian. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II This is a list of Governors-General of the Bahamas. Governors-General of the Bahamas Sir John Warburton Paul ( 10 &ndash Arthur Dion "AD" Hanna (born March 7, 1928) is the current Governor-General of the Bahamas Heads of Government (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Affiliations- Sources http//www Hubert Alexander Ingraham (born 1947 is the Prime Minister of The Bahamas. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 27/km² (181st) 60/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$6. List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 524 billion (145th)
-	Per capita	$17,843 (38th)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 845 (high) (49th)
Currency		Dollar (BSD)
Time zone		EST (UTC−5)
-	Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Internet TLD		.bs
Calling code		+1 242

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an independent sovereign, English-speaking country consisting of two thousand cays and seven hundred islands that form an archipelago. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The dollar ( ISO 4217 code BSD) has been the Currency of The Bahamas since 1966. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America Daylight saving time ( DST The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and the United States, north of Cuba, the island of Hispanola and the Caribbean, and northwest of the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest and most populous Island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom The Turks and Caicos Islands ( TCI) (ˈtɜːks ænd ˈkeɪkəs are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Districts 4 Government and politics 5 Demographics 6 Economy 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 9.1 General history 9.2 Economic history 9.3 Social history 10 External links

History

Main article: History of the Bahamas

The seafaring Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 7th century AD. The verifiable History of the Bahamas can be traced back to Christopher Columbus's first voyage in 1492 The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. These people came to be known as the Lucayans. The Lucayan were Arawakan People who inhabited the Bahamas at the time of Christopher Columbus ' landing on October 12, 1492. There were an estimated 30,000+ Lucayans at the time of Columbus' arrival in 1492.

Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the New World was on an island he named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans as Guanahahani) which is generally accepted to be present-day San Salvador Island (also known as Watling's's Island) in the southeastern Bahamas. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. San Salvador Island, also known as Watling Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. Here, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.

The Spaniards who followed Columbus depopulated the islands and they were deserted until the arrival of the Eleutherian Adventurers from Bermuda in the mid 1600s. The Adventurers (who were English) established the first permanent European settlements on an island which they named Eleuthera - the name derives from the Greek word for freedom. See also Eleutherae Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km east of Nassau. They later discovered New Providence and named it Sayle's Island. To survive, the settlers looted passing ships.

In 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lord Proprietors of the Carolinas, who rented the islands from the king with rights of trading, tax, appointing governors, and administering the country. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government

During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering Edward Teach (tɛtʃ c 1680 – November 22, 1718) better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English Pirate in the Caribbean To restore orderly government, the Bahamas was made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers, who cracked down on piracy. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom

During the American Revolutionary War, the islands were a target for American naval forces under the command of Commodore Ezekial Hopkins. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" 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 Nassau, which surrendered without a fight. The Siege of Yorktown or Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington But the 1783 Treaty of Versailles - which ended the global conflict between Britain, France and Spain - returned the Bahamas to British sovereignty. The Peace of Paris (1783 was the set of treaties which ended the American Revolutionary War.

After the American Revolution, some 8,000 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas from New York, Florida and the Carolinas. This article concerns Loyalists in the American Revolution. For information on the role of those Loyalists in Canadian history after their emigration see United Empire The Americans established plantations on several out 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. The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Slavery was finally abolished in the British Empire on August 1, 1834. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 1834 ( MDCCCXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common

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. In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent, but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.

In 1967, Lynden Pindling became the first black premier of the colony, and in 1968 the title was changed to prime minister. Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, KCMG, OM, JP ( 22 March 1930 - 26 August 2000) served as the first black Premier of Another black Bahamian, Sir Milo Butler, was appointed governor-general upon independence.

Based on the twin pillars of tourism and offshore finance, the Bahamian economy has prospered since the 1950s. Today, the country enjoys the third highest per capita income in the hemisphere. Despite this, there are 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"; or the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma "large upper middle land".

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Bahamas

The closest island to the United States is Bimini, which is also known as the gateway to the Bahamas. The Bahamas are a group of about 700 Atolls and Cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited Bimini (ˈbɪmɨni is a district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands The island of Abaco is to the east of Grand Bahama. History First inhabited by the Lucayan, in 1783 the first European settlers of the islands were Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution Grand Bahama is one of the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, and the closest major island to the United States, lying just 55 mi (90 km off the state of The southeasternmost island is Great Inagua. Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little 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. Andros Island is the largest Island of the Bahamas and the fifth largest island in the West Indies at roughly 2300 square miles (6000 km² in area and 104 miles See also Eleutherae Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km east of Nassau. Cat Island is in the central Bahamas, and one of its districts, and boasts the nation's highest point This article is about the island in the Bahamas For other uses of the word "Long Island" see Long Island (disambiguation. San Salvador Island, also known as Watling Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. For the name see Acklin; for the species of iguana see Acklins Ground Iguana For the musician Exuma see Exuma (musician. Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or Mayaguana is the most easterly island and district of The Bahamas. Nassau, the Bahamas capital city, lies on the island of New Providence. Nassau is the Capital, largest city and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas. While the first European visitors to the Bahama Islands were Bermudian salt rakers gathering

All the islands are low and flat, with ridges that usually rise no more than 15~20 m [50-60 feet]. Andros Island is the largest Island of the Bahamas and the fifth largest island in the West Indies at roughly 2300 square miles (6000 km² in area and 104 miles The highest point in the country is Mount Alvernia, or Como Hill, which has an altitude of 63 metres (210 ft). 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. The Turks and Caicos Islands ( TCI) (ˈtɜːks ænd ˈkeɪkəs are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies Mouchoir Bank, in Spanish also called Banco de Pañuelo Blanco is located southeast of the Turks islands at, and geographically a continuation of the Silver Bank is an area in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic and southeast of the Territory of Turks & Caicos. Navidad Bank is an area in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic and southeast of the Territory of Turks & Caicos. .

The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical, and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter. The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that ^[3] 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 Andrew is the second most powerful and the last of three Category 5 hurricanes that made U Hurricane Frances hit in 2004; the Atlantic hurricane season of 2004 was expected to be the worst ever for the islands. Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Also in 2004, the northern Bahamas were hit by a less potent Hurricane Jeanne. Hurricane Jeanne was the tenth named storm, the seventh hurricane, and the fifth major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. In 2005 the northern islands were once again struck, this time by Hurricane Wilma. Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. In Grand Bahama, tidal 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.

Districts

Main article: Districts of the Bahamas

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 of the Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere in The Bahamas except New Providence, whose affairs are handled directly by the central New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas. While the first European visitors to the Bahama Islands were Bermudian salt rakers gathering The districts other than New Providence are:

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of The Bahamas

The Bahamas is an independent country and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. For the name see Acklin; for the species of iguana see Acklins Ground Iguana Attractions The Berry islands have become a huge Vacation spot for people from all over the world Bimini (ˈbɪmɨni is a district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands Black Point is one of the districts of the Bahamas. For the musician Exuma see Exuma (musician. Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or Cat Island is in the central Bahamas, and one of its districts, and boasts the nation's highest point Central Abaco is one of the districts of the Bahamas, in the Abaco Islands. Central Andros is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on Andros Island. Central Eleuthera is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the island of Eleuthera. East Grand Bahama is a district of the Bahamas, situated on the eastern part of the island of Grand Bahama. For the musician Exuma see Exuma (musician. Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or Grand Cay is one of the districts of the Bahamas, in the Abaco islands History First inhabited by the Lucayan, in 1783 the first European settlers of the islands were Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution See also Eleutherae Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km east of Nassau. Hope Town is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the Abaco islands as well as a small village on Elbow Cay, located in Abaco Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua This article is about the island in the Bahamas For other uses of the word "Long Island" see Long Island (disambiguation. Mangrove Cay is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on Andros Island. Andros Island is the largest Island of the Bahamas and the fifth largest island in the West Indies at roughly 2300 square miles (6000 km² in area and 104 miles Mayaguana is the most easterly island and district of The Bahamas. Moore's Island is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the Abaco Islands North Abaco is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the Abaco Islands North Andros is one of the districts of the Bahamas, in the Andros Island complex North Eleuthera is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the island of Eleuthera. Ragged Island is a small island (9 square miles and district in the southern Bahamas. Rum Cay is an island and district of the Bahamas. Lat N23 42' 30" - Long San Salvador Island, also known as Watling Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. South Abaco is one of the districts of the Bahamas, in the Abaco Islands South Andros is a district of the nation of The Bahamas. Geographically South Andros is the southernmost third of the land mass colloquially called Andros, which South Eleuthera is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the island of Eleuthera. Spanish Wells is one of the districts of the Bahamas. It is a settlement on the small island of St See also Eleutherae Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km east of Nassau. West Grand Bahama is one of 31 districts of The Bahamas. The district covers the entire western portion of Grand Bahama island excluding the city of The politics of the Bahamas takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the Political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom.

Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State, represented by a Bahamian governor-general. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II This is a list of Governors-General of the Bahamas. Governors-General of the Bahamas Sir John Warburton Paul ( 10 &ndash The prime minister is the head of government and is the leader of the party with the most seats in the elected House of Assembly. Heads of Government (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Affiliations- Sources http//www This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State The current governor-general is Arthur Dion Hanna and the current prime minister is Hubert Alexander Ingraham. Arthur Dion "AD" Hanna (born March 7, 1928) is the current Governor-General of the Bahamas This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Hubert Alexander Ingraham (born 1947 is the Prime Minister of The Bahamas. The upper house (the Senate) is appointed. Executive power is exercised by the cabinet. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation The Bahamian Parliament is a Bicameral body that in its organisation and functions closely follows the canons of the Westminster system.

The party system is dominated by the centre-left Progressive Liberal Party and the centre-right Free National Movement. The Progressive Liberal Party is a populist, liberal party in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The Free National Movement is a socially liberal and economically conservative Political party in The Bahamas. 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. The Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM is a liberal Populist political party in the Bahamas without parliamentary representation The Coalition for Democratic Reform is a liberal personalist party in The Bahamas.

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 Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Jurisprudence is based on English common law.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Bahamas

Blacks 85%, Whites 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% according to the last census completed about the races on the island, which was recorded in 1953. Eighty-five percent of the Bahamian population is of African heritage

1953 census results by island

Region	European	%	Mixed	%	African	%	Total
New Providence	&0000000000006758. 0000006,758	14. 80%	&0000000000006804. 0000006,804	14. 90%	&0000000000032108. 00000032,108	70. 30%	&0000000000045670. 00000045,670
Andros and Berry Islands	97	1. 30%	299	4. 01%	&0000000000007065. 0000007,065	94. 69%	&0000000000007461. 0000007,461
Grand Bahama and Bimini	450	8. 30%	721	13. 31%	&0000000000004248. 0000004,248	78. 39%	&0000000000005419. 0000005,419
Abaco	&0000000000001146. 0000001,146	33. 63%	225	6. 60%	&0000000000002037. 0000002,037	59. 77%	&0000000000003408. 0000003,408
Harbour Island	861	56. 42%	53	3. 47%	612	40. 10%	&0000000000001526. 0000001,526
Eleuthera	662	10. 93%	&0000000000001062. 0000001,062	17. 54%	&0000000000004332. 0000004,332	71. 53%	&0000000000006056. 0000006,056
Cat Island	12	0. 37%	86	2. 69%	&0000000000003103. 0000003,103	96. 94%	&0000000000003201. 0000003,201
Exuma	59	2. 02%	61	2. 09%	&0000000000002799. 0000002,799	95. 89%	&0000000000002919. 0000002,919
San Salvador and Rum Cay	46	5. 56%	51	6. 17%	730	88. 27%	827
Long Island and Ragged Island	564	13. 84%	&0000000000002072. 0000002,072	50. 83%	&0000000000001440. 0000001,440	35. 33%	&0000000000004076. 0000004,076
Crooked Islands, Acklins and Long Cay	7	0. 32%	513	23. 44%	&0000000000001669. 0000001,669	76. 24%	&0000000000002189. 0000002,189
Mayaguana and Inagua	60	3. 74%	95	5. 93%	&0000000000001448. 0000001,448	90. 33%	&0000000000001603. 0000001,603
Bahamas	&0000000000010722. 00000010,722	12. 71%	&0000000000012042. 00000012,042	14. 28%	&0000000000061591. 00000061,591	73. 01%	&0000000000084355. 00000084,355

Source:

Population: 300,529 (July 2002 est. ) Age structure: 0-14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250) 15-64 years: 64. 7% (male 95,508; female 98,859) 65 years and over: 6. 3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est. ) Population growth rate: 0. 86% (2002 est. ) Birth rate: 18. 69 births/1,000 population (2002 est. ) Death rate: 7. 49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est. ) Net migration rate: -2. 63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est. ) Sex ratio: at birth: 1. 02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1. 02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0. 97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0. 72 male(s)/female total population: 0. 96 male(s)/female (2002 est. ) Infant mortality rate: 17. 08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 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 Ethnic groups: black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% Languages: English, Creole (among Haitian immigrants) Literacy (age 15+): total population: 98. 2% male: 98. 5% female: 98% (1995 est. )

Source: The Bahamas guide

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.

Regattas are important social events in many family island settlements. A regatta is a term used to describe either a Boat race or series of boat races 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. See also Eleutherae Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km east of Nassau. Other significant traditions include story telling. Storytelling is the ancient art of conveying events in Words Images and Sounds often by Improvisation or embellishment

A strongly religious country, there are more places of worship per person in the Bahamas than many other nations in the world. The islands are overwhelmingly Christian. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Baptists, Anglicans and Roman Catholics are the largest denominations. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs

A few people, especially in the southern and eastern islands, practice Obeah, a spiritistic religion similar to Voodoo. Obeah (sometimes spelled "Obi" is a term used in the West Indies to refer to Folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central Spiritism is a Christian philosophical Doctrine, established in France in the mid-nineteenth century A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos Voodoo is also practiced by a large number of people in Haiti. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole:

Sailing and Track and field athletics are popular sports in the country. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Football and rugby also have strong followings while American sports such as basketball, softball, baseball and American football are gaining in popularity. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Softball is a team Sport popular especially in the United States. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with

Bahamians have won Olympic gold medals in sailing (Sir Durwood Knowles and Cecile Cooke in 1964) and track and field (Tonique Williams-Darling in the 400 m in 2004 and the women's relay team in the 4×100m in 2000). Tonique Williams-Darling (born January 17, 1976) is a Bahamian sprint athlete. They are also very active in the world of karting, the current Bahamian champion is Genevieve Siddons.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Bahamas

The Bahamian dollar is pegged to the US dollar, and US notes and coins are used interchangeably with Bahamian currency for most practical purposes. However, government exchange controls still apply for the purchase of foreign currency.

The Bahamas is classified as an upper middle-income developing country and has the third highest per capita income in the western hemisphere (after the United States and Canada). Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for about two thirds of the gross domestic product (GDP). Offshore finance is the second largest industry, accounting for about 15 per cent of GDP.

The government continues to promote tourism and financial services while aiming for greater diversification through agriculture, fishing, manufacturing and e-commerce.

In the 1960s, the country enjoyed robust growth averaging 9 per cent annually as direct foreign investment spurred the development of tourism. A global economic downturn after the 1973 oil price shock coincided with Bahamian independence and led to a drop in foreign investment.

Toward the end of that decade economic performance improved, led by growth in tourism; and international narcotics trafficking. Real GDP growth in the 1980-84 period averaged 3 per cent, but declined in the late 1980s. GDP growth was 0. 3 per cent in 1995 and accelerated to 6 per cent in 1999. After 9/11 the economy slumped temporarily due to travel fears, but began growing again in 2002.

Historically, most development has occurred on New Providence and Grand Bahama, causing significant migration from the Family Islands to these two urban centers and straining their infrastructure. The government is also faced with the burden of duplicating facilities and services throughout the archipelago.

There is no income, corporate or capital gains tax. Government revenues are derived from import tariffs, excise taxes, property taxes, business licenses and fees.

See also

References

Further reading

General history

• Cash Philip et al. (Don Maples, Alison Packer). The Making of the Bahamas: A History for Schools. London: Collins, 1978.
• Albury, Paul. The Story of The Bahamas. London: MacMillan Caribbean, 1975.
• Miller, Hubert W. The Colonization of the Bahamas, 1647–1670, The William and Mary Quarterly 2 no. 1 (Jan 1945): 33–46.
• Craton, Michael. A History of the Bahamas. London: Collins, 1962.
• Craton, Michael and Saunders, Gail. Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1992
• McCartney, Donald M. , "Bahamian Culture And Factors Which Impact Upon It". Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing,:) 2004

Economic history

• Johnson, Howard. The Bahamas in Slavery and Freedom. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishing, 1991.
• Johnson, Howard. The Bahamas from Slavery to Servitude, 1783–1933. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1996.
• Storr, Virgil H. Enterprising Slaves and Master Pirates: Understanding Economic Life in the Bahamaz. New York: Peter Lang, 2004.

Social history

• Johnson, Wittington B. Race Relations in the Bahamas, 1784–1834: The Nonviolent Transformation from a Slave to a Free Society. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas, 2000.
• Shirley, Paul. "Tek Force Wid Force", History Today 54, no. 41 (April 2004): 30–35.
• Saunders, Gail. The Social Life in the Bahamas 1880s–1920s. Nassau: Media Publishing, 1996.
• Saunders, Gail. Bahamas Society After Emancipation. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishing, 1990.
• Curry, Jimmy. Filthy Rich Gangster/First Bahamian Movie. Movie Mogul Pictures: 1996.

External links

• Official website for Bahamas government
• Official website for Bahamas Tourist Office
• Bahamas travel guide from Wikitravel
• Bahamas Financial Services Board
• The Association of International Banks & Trust Companies in The Bahamas
• The Bahamas Constitution
• Bahamas entry at The World Factbook

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide.

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic