The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent, English-speaking country consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 rocks. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the United States of America, north of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea, and northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Its size is almost 14,000 km² with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau. It remains a Commonwealth realm.

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

[edit] History

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' arrival in 1492. Christopher Columbus' 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' 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 for which they had no immunity.^[4] The smallpox that ravaged the Taino Indians after Columbus's arrival wiped out half of the population on what is now the Bahamas.^[5] 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.^[6]

During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard. To restore orderly government, the Bahamas was made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers, who, after a difficult struggle, succeeded in suppressing piracy.^[7]

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]}

[edit] Geography and Climate

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[8]
2	508.0	20.00	Donna 1960	[9]
3	436.6	17.19	Flora 1963	Duncan Town[10]
4	390.1	15.36	Inez 1966	Nassau Airport[10]
5	321.1	12.64	Michelle 2001	Nassau[11]
6	309.4	12.18	Erin 1995	Church Grove[12]
7	279.4	10.00	Isidore 1984	Nassau[13]
8	260.0	9.88	Fay 2008	Freeport[14]
9	236.7	9.32	Floyd 1999	Little Harbor Abacos[15]
10	216.4	8.52	Cleo 1964	West End[10]

The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical, and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter.^[16] 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, 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.

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, FL area. The temperature was about 5°C at the time.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Districts

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:

[edit] Government and politics

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.

[edit] Demographics

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this section if you can. (April 2008)

Population: 307,541 (July 2008 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 3%

Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%^[17] The 'other' category includes Jews, Muslims, Baha'is, Hindus, Rastafarians, and practitioners of Obeah.^[18]

Languages: English (official), Bahamian Dialect^[19], Bahamian Creole

Literacy (age 15+): total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)^[20]

[edit] Culture

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," despite the fact that such dolls are the result of the American imagination and not based on historic fact.^[21]

Obeah, a religion of folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central African 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 and New Year's 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.

[edit] See also

• Index of Bahamas-related articles
• List of international rankings
• Outline of geography
• Outline of North America

Member of

• Commonwealth of Nations
• United Nations

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] 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 (January 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

[edit] 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.
• Alan A. Block. Masters of Paradise, New Brunswick and London, Transaction Publishers, 1998.
• Storr, Virgil H. Enterprising Slaves and Master Pirates: Understanding Economic Life in the Bahamaz. New York: Peter Lang, 2004.

[edit] 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.
• Curry, Jimmy. To The Rescue/First Bahamian Rap/Hip Hop Song. Royal Crown Records, 1985.
• Morrelo, Ryan. "

[edit] External links

• Wikimedia Atlas of Bahamas
• The Official Tourism Website of The Islands Of The Bahamas (USA)
• The Official UK Tourism Website of The Islands Of The Bahamas
• Official website for Bahamas government
• Bahamas travel guide from Wikitravel
• Bahamas Financial Services Board
• The Bahamas Constitution
• Bahamas entry at The World Factbook
• The Bahamas at the University of Colorado at Boulder
• The Bahamas at the Open Directory Project

 

[hide] v • d • e Bahamas topics   Government and politics Elections · Flag · Foreign relations · Governor-General · Law enforcement · Military · Monarchy · Parliament · Political parties · Prime Minister   History Battle of Nassau · Colonial heads · Eleutheran Adventurers · Civil War   Economy and infrastructure Airports · Communications · Companies · Dollar · Securities Exchange · Transport   Geography and environment Birds · Cities · Districts · Islands · Mammals   Culture and society Bahamians Creole · Demographics · Education · Films · Music · Television   See also: List of Bahamas-related topics

[show] v • d • e   Commonwealth realms   Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Grenada · Jamaica · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · St Kitts and Nevis · St Lucia · St Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu · United Kingdom

[show]   Geographic locale   [hide] v • d • e Countries and territories of the Caribbean     [show]   Sovereign states     Commonwealth Realms Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Grenada · Jamaica · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines   Commonwealth republics Dominica · Trinidad and Tobago   Other republics Cuba · Dominican Republic · Haiti     [show]   Dependencies and other territories by parent country     United Kingdom Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands   Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire · Curaηao · Saba · Sint Maarten · Sint Eustatius)   France Guadeloupe · Martinique · St. Barthιlemy · St. Martin   United States Navassa Island · Petrel Islands · Puerto Rico · Serranilla Bank · U.S. Virgin Islands [show] v • d • e Countries and dependencies of North America   Several nations listed here straddle both North and South America or can also be considered Caribbean.   Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Costa Rica · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Haiti · Honduras · Jamaica · Mexico · Nicaragua · Panama · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · United States   Dependencies   Denmark Greenland   France Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint Barthιlemy · Saint Martin · Saint Pierre and Miquelon · Clipperton   Netherlands Aruba · Netherlands Antilles   United Kingdom Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands   United States Navassa Island · Petrel Islands · Puerto Rico · Serranilla Bank · U.S. Virgin Islands

[show]   International membership   [show] v • d • e Caribbean Community (CARICOM)   Members Antigua and Barbuda · Bahamas1 · Barbados · Belize · Dominica · Grenada · Guyana · Haiti1 · Jamaica · Montserrat2 · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Trinidad and Tobago   Associate members Anguilla · Bermuda · Cayman Islands · British Virgin Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands   Observers Aruba · Colombia · Dominican Republic · Mexico · Netherlands Antilles · Puerto Rico · Venezuela   1 Member of the Community but not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).   2 British overseas territory awaiting entrustment to join the CSME. [show] v • d • e   Commonwealth realms   Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Barbados · Belize · Canada · Grenada · Jamaica · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · St Kitts and Nevis · St Lucia · St Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Tuvalu · United Kingdom [show] v • d • e Monarchies   List of current monarchs   Geography Africa · Americas · Europe · Oceania   Absolute Brunei · Saudi Arabia · Swaziland · Vatican City   Constitutional Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Andorra · Bahamas · Bahrain · Barbados · Belize · Belgium · Bhutan · Cambodia · Canada · Denmark · Grenada · Jamaica · Japan1 · Jordan · Kuwait · Liechtenstein · Lesotho · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Monaco · Morocco · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Oman2 · Papua New Guinea · Qatar2 · Spain · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Solomon Islands · Sweden · Thailand · Tonga · Tuvalu · United Arab Emirates3 · United Kingdom   Elective Andorra · Cambodia · Kuwait · Malaysia · Swaziland · United Arab Emirates3 · Vatican City   Subnational   Ghana Ashanti · Dagbon   Malaysia Johor · Kedah · Kelantan · Negeri Sembilan · Pahang · Perak · Perlis · Selangor · Terengganu   Nigeria Ibadan · Nri · Kano · Sokoto Caliphate · Lagos   Uganda Ankole · Buganda · Bunyoro · Busoga · Toro   United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi · Ajman · Dubai · Fujairah · Ras al-Khaimah · Sharjah · Umm al-Qaiwain   Wallis and Futuna Alo · Sigave · Uvea   Others Māori (New Zealand) · Yogyakarta (Indonesia) · Zulu Kingdom (South Africa) · Barotseland (Zambia)   Italics indicate Commonwealth realms, which each share the same monarch as head of state. 1 Monarch debatable as Head of State.   2 Technically constitutional, but effectively absolute.   3 Uses the title President. [show] v • d • e Members of the Commonwealth of Nations   Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica · Fiji · The Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Swaziland · Tanzania · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · United Kingdom · Vanuatu · Zambia   Dependencies   Australia Ashmore and Cartier Islands · Australian Antarctic Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Coral Sea Islands · Heard Island and McDonald Islands · Norfolk Island   New Zealand Cook Islands · Niue · Ross Dependency · Tokelau   United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Anguilla · Bermuda · British Antarctic Territory · British Indian Ocean Territory · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Falkland Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Montserrat · Pitcairn Islands · St. Helena (including Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) · South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Turks and Caicos Islands

[show] v • d • e States with an Anglophone majority – the English-speaking world   Europe Guernsey • Ireland • Isle of Man • Jersey • United Kingdom   Asia Singapore   Americas Antigua and Barbuda • The Bahamas • Barbados • Canada • Dominica • Guyana • Jamaica • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Trinidad and Tobago • United States   Oceania Australia • Marshall Islands • Federated States of Micronesia • Nauru • New Zealand • Palau

[show] v • d • e The English-speaking world