The Bahamas

Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Flag of The Bahamas Coat of arms of The Bahamas Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Forward Upward Onward Together"
Anthem: March On, Bahamaland Royal anthem: God Save the Queen
Capital	Nassau 25°4′N 77°20′W
Largest city	capital
Official languages	English
Government	Commonwealth
- Monarch	Elizabeth II
- Governor-General	Arthur Dion Hanna
- Prime Minister	Perry Christie
Independence	from the United Kingdom
- Self-governing	1963
- Full independence	July 10, 1973
Area
- Total	13,878 km² (160th) 5,358 sq mi
- Water (%)	28%
Population
- 2005 estimate	323,0001
- 1990 census	254,685
- Density	23.27/km² 60/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$6.524 billion
- Per capita	$17,8432
HDI  (2004)	0.825 (high)
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 English-speaking nation consisting of seven hundred islands and cays that form an archipelago. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida and the United States, north of Cuba and the Caribbean, and northwest of the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Geography

The Islands Of The Bahamas form a 100,000-sq-mile archipelago that extends over 500 miles of what is considered by many to be the clearest water in the world. The 700 islands, including uninhabited cays and large rocks, total an estimated land area of 5,382 sq miles, and register a highest land elevation of 206 ft.

Bimini, the closest island to the United States, happens to also be known as the gateway to the Bahamas, while Grand Bahama is the closest major island. Other notable islands include Inagua,the third largest island; Andros, the largest and least explored of all the islands, however it is well known to snorklers and scuba divers for it has the second largest reed in the Northern hemisphere. Abaco, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island, San Salvador, Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma and Mayaguana, are other major islands included in the Bahamas. On the island of New Providense lies the capital of The Islands of the Bahamas, Nassau. In the southeast, the Caicos Islands, the Turks islands, Mouchoir Bank, Silver Bank, and Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation of the Bahamas, but not part of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream.

Climate

The climate of the Bahamas range in the area of subtropical to tropical, and is significantly moderated by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in the winter. Conversely, this often proves very dangerous in the summer and autumn, when hurricanes pass near or through the islands. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit the northern islands. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd hit most of the islands. Hurricane Frances of 2004 was expected to be the worst storm ever for the islands. Later 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, flooded graves and roughly put 1,000 people out on the streets, most of whom lived on the west coast of the island. The homeless were stuck without food, water and resources.

Flora and fauna

The Islands of The Bahamas offer an overwhelming variety of historical, cultural, and natural attractions on its 700 islands and 2,400 cays. Although the size of The Bahamas is traditionally estimated by its land mass (about 5,400 square miles, including many uninhabited rocks and isles), the islands extend over a marine territory of about 100,000 square miles (almost twice the size of Spain). This marine expansion is as important as the land mass itself, while the land provides a place to live, the sea is a place to play and explore. Most people come to The Bahamas for its unearthly clear waters and its abundant variety of marine life. In actuality, almost 5% of the world's coral reefs are located there, an amount surpassing even Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In addition to the rich native flora and fauna, the Bahamas have an unparalleled diversity of marine life. Because The Bahamas is an island nation, there are only two native mammals, the raccoon and the hutia, a tropical version of the guinea pig. Larger mammals foreign to the islands were introduced during colonization. Mammals such as wild donkeys, wild boars, and horses, roam in less populated areas, while whales and dolphins often visit the waters nearby. Reptiles and amphibians such as the endangered Bahamian rock iguana, the Cat Island terrapin and the Hawksbill turtle share the cays and islands of the Bahamas with the largest nesting colony of West Indian flamingoes in the world, as well as nesting colonies of the Bahama parrot. Unlike New World parrots, the Abaco parrot nests in natural limestone cavities in the ground. Because of their nesting habits, they become more vulnerable to the islands native predators, especially the wild cats of the Abaco forests. While the islands of The Bahamas are not entirely lush, their flora is distinctive, colorful, and varied. Among the Bahamian plants rest the bull vine, whose bright red blooms attract butterflies, the wild grape, several species of fig, and the boldly color and shape of the bromeliad. Wild tamarind and pigeon plum trees are also found no the islands, both of which produce edible fruit, and the omnipresent casuarina pine. The variety of national parks envelop a wide range of environments, from hardwood forests and whiteland coppices, to sand dunes, eerie and impenetrable mangrove flats. Bahamians have a strong tradition of appreciating and protecting their environment which is why the 12 government funded national parks of The Bahamas are exceptionaly well kept. They exist on many islands, encompassing every kind of habitat that the islands possess, and range in size from the 40 acres known as Lucayan National Park to the 20,000 acre National Park on the island of Abaco.

History

Map of the Bahamas

Some of the islands as seen from a plane.

Atlantis Paradise Island

Paleo-Indians may have populated the area previously, Taino Indians from Hispaniola and Cuba moved into the southern Bahamas around the seventh century AD and became the Lucayans. There were an estimated forty thousand Lucayans at the time of Columbus' arrival.

Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the New World was on the island of San Salvador, also called Watling's Island, in the south part of Bahamas. Here, Columbus made contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.

The Bahamian Lucayans were taken to Hispaniola as slaves; in two decades, many Lucayan societies ceased to exist, as the population endured considerable forced labour, warfare, disease, emigration and outmarriage. After the Lucayan population was decimated, the Bahamian islands were virtually unoccupied until the English settlers came from Bermuda in 1647. The so-called Eleutherian Adventurers established settlements on the island of Eleuthera.

The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718. Some 8,000 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas in the late 1700s from New York, Florida and the Carolinas.The United Kingdom Emancipation Act took force on August 1, 1834, thereby ending slavery in the Bahamas. This led to many fugitive slaves from the US braving the perils of the Atlantic for the promise of a free life in the Bahamas.

During the American War of Independence the Bahamas fell to Spanish forces under General Galvez in 1782. After the American Revolution the British government issued land grants to a group of British Loyalists, and the sparse population of the Bahamas tripled in a few years. The planters thought to grow cotton, but the limy soil was unsuited to it, and the plantations soon failed. Many of the current inhabitants are descended from the slaves brought to work on the Loyalist plantations. When the UK outlawed the slave trade in 1807, the Royal Navy began intercepting ships and depositing freed slaves in the Bahamas. Plantation life was finished after the emancipation of remaining slaves in 1834.

During the American Civil War, the Bahamas prospered as a center of Confederate blockade-running, bringing out cotton for the mills of England and running in arms and munitions. After World War I, the islands served as a base for American rum-runners.

During World War II, the Allies centered their flight training and antisubmarine operations for the Caribbean in the Bahamas. Since Havana closed to American tourists in 1961, the Bahamas has developed into a major tourist resort. At the same time the establishment of Freeport as a free trade zone (1955) developed an off-shore financial services center with a reputation for a tolerant atmosphere.

The British made the islands internally self-governing in 1964. In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent but retained its membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. In circumstances recalling those of the southern United States, the country's black majority was economically oppressed and socially excluded, until the election of Sir Lynden Pindling and his government toward the end of the 1960s.

Based on the pillars of tourism and financial services, the Bahamas' economy has prospered since the 1950s. Today, the country enjoys the third highest per capita income in the western hemisphere, and the highest in the Caribbean (excluding the dependent territories of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands). Despite this, the country still faces significant challenges in areas such as education, healthcare, international narcotics traffiking, correctional facilities and illegal immigration. The urban renewal project has been launched in recent years to help build up dilapidated urban areas and social decline in the main islands.

Some say the name "Bahamas" derives from the Spanish baja mar, meaning "shallow seas"; others trace the name to the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma ("large upper middle land").

Government and politics

The politics of the Bahamas takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Bahamas is an independent country and Commonwealth Realm. It is a parliamentary democracy whose political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom.

The non-resident Queen of the Bahamas is the ceremonial head of state, represented by a Bahamian governor-general. Prime Minister is the head of government and is the leader of the party with the most seats in the elected House of Assembly. The current Governor is Arthur Dion Hanna and the current Prime Minister is Perry Christie. The upper house (the Senate) is appointed. Executive power is exercised by the cabinet. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament.

Executive branch

As head of state, Queen Elizabeth II is represented in the Bahamas by a governor general who acts on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. The leader of the majority party serves as Prime Minister and head of government. The cabinet consists of at least nine members, including the Prime Minister and ministers of executive departments. They answer politically to the House of Assembly. The Governor General appoints the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Governor General appoints the other justices with the advice of a judicial commission. The Privy Council of the United Kingdom serves as the highest appellate court.

Legislative branch

The House of Assembly consists of 40 members, elected from individual constituencies for five-year terms. As under the Westminster system, the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time. The House of Assembly performs all major legislative functions.

The Senate consists of 16 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 party system is 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 include 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. The Bahamas is a member of the Caribbean Community. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Jurisprudence is based on English common law.

Foreign relations

Griffin, this section was a word for word copy, so please re-word, and also link where necessary.

The Bahamas has strong bilateral relationships with the United States and the United Kingdom, represented by an ambassador in Washington and High Commissioner in London. The Bahamas also associates closely with other nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Bahamas has an ambassador to Haiti and works closely with the United States and CARICOM on political and migration issues related to Haiti. The Bahamas has diplomatic relations with Cuba, including embassies in each other's capitals. A repatriation agreement was signed with Cuba in 1996, and there are commercial and cultural contacts between the two countries. The Bahamas also enjoys a strengthening relationship with China. The Commonwealth of The Bahamas became a member of the United Nations in 1973 and the Organization of American States in 1982.

The Bahamas holds membership in a number of international organizations: the UN and some specialized and related agencies, including Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the International Labor Organization (ILO); International Monetary Fund (IMF); International Telecommunication Union (ITU); World Bank; World Meteorological Organization (WMO); World Health Organization (WHO); OAS and related agencies, including Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO); the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), excluding its Common Market; the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); Universal Postal Union (UPU); International Maritime Organization (IMO); World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); and obtained observer status in the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001.

Economy

The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy dependent upon tourism and offshore banking. Steady growth in tourism and an outburst in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to a solid Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in recent years. However, the slowdown in the United States' economy and the attacks of September, 11 in 2001 held back growth in those said areas in 2001-'03. Financial services constitute that about 15% of the GDP services go to the Bahamian economy, the second most important economic region of the Bahamian economy. Since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial department, many international businesses left the Bahamas. Agriculture and manufacturers together contribute approximately one-tenth of GDP and show little growth, even despite government incentives aimed at those financial regions. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism department, which depend on growth in the United States, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. In addition to tourism and banking, the government supports the development of a "third pillar," E-commerce.

Facts and figures

• "Household income or consumption by percentage share"
  • highest 10%: 27% (2000)
• "Agriculture - products"
  • citrus, vegetables; poultry
• "Electricity - production"
  • 1,716 GWh (2002)
• "Electricity - consumption"
  • 1,596 GWh (2002)
• "Oil - consumption"
  • 23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
• "Oil - exports"
  • transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003)
• "Exchange rates"
  • Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000)

Demographics

File:Bahamas-demography.png

Demographics of Bahamas, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

Eighty-five percent of the Bahamian population is of African descent. About two-thirds of the population lives on New Providence Island. And about one-sixth of the population lives on Grand Bahama. The island of which Freeport (the most widely known free trading port) is settled upon.

The islands were sparsely settled and considered a haven for pirates until the late 1700s when thousands of British loyalists and their slaves were given compensatory land grants following the American Revolution.

School attendance is mandatory between the ages of five and 16. There are over 150 public schools and more than 50 private schools in The Bahamas serving more than 66,000 students. The College of The Bahamas, was established in 1974 in the capital city of Nassau, provides programmes leading to bachelors and associate degrees. The college is currently converting from a 2-year to a 4-year institution.

Facts and figures

File:Bahamas population pyramid 2005.png

Population pyramid of the Bahamas

Population

303,770

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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 27.5% (male 41,799/female 41,733)

15-64 years: 66.1% (male 98,847/female 102,074)

65 years and over: 6.4% (male 7,891/female 11,426) (2006 est.)

Median age

Total: 27.8 years

Male: 27.1 years

Female: 28.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate

0.64% (2006 est.)

Birth rate

17.57 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate

9.05 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate

-2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 24.68 deaths/1,000 live births

Male: 30.29 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 18.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 65.6 years

Male: 62.24 years

Female: 69.03 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS

Adult prevalence rate: 3% (2003 est.)

People living with HIV/AIDS: 5,600 (2003 est.)

Deaths: less than 200 (2003 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) and Spanish (among Cuban immigrants)

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Total population: 95.6%

Male: 94.7%

Female: 96.5% (2003 est.)

Society and culture

Junkanoo celebration in the Bahamas.

The Bahamian culture is an expression of African and European influences. Its most spirited form of expression could greatly be considered Junkanoo, a rhythmic national festival that takes place every year from December 26th until New Years on January 1st. Junkanoo first began back in the 16th and 17th centuries when the slaves of the Bahamas were given permission to leave their owners' plantations at Christmas time to visit their family and traditionally celebrate with African music, dance and costumes. The celebration has sense continued even after emancipation from their owners. It is unclear of the origin of the word Junkanoo. Three likely possiblities remain even after years of discussion. L'inconnu meaning 'the unknown' in French, in reference to the festive masks worn by paraders. Or 'junk enoo', the Scottish colonizers references to the parades meaning 'junk enough'. The last possibility is that it came from the name 'John Canoe', an African tribal cheif who insisted that he would be allowed to celebrate with his people even after being brought into slavery in the West Indies.

Aside from Junkanoo, other native forms of music include rake and scrape, calypso, and a unique form of hymnal, known internationally through the music of the late Joseph Spence. Marching bands are also an essencial part of life, playing at funerals, weddings and other ceremonial events.

In the less developed outer islands crafts are a way of passing the time, basketry is commonly included in craft developement, being made from palm fronds. Palm fronds are simply known as straw. Straw is also braided into hats and bags, which are popular tourist items today.

In a few settlements in the Bahamas, food festivals are common and are assosiated with the natural crop and food of the area. For example in Gregory Town, Eleuthera they celebrate the Pineapple Fest, on the island of Andros the Crab Fest is celebrated. Other significant traditions include story telling.

With the Bahamas being an extremely religious country, there are many more places of worship per person than any other nation in the world. The islands are amazingly 80% Protestant Christian. Baptists form the largest denomination with approximately one-third of the population, followed by the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. As of 2006, one out of every 191 people was a Jehovah's Witness ^{[citation needed]}.

A few Bahamians, especially in the southern and eastern islands, practice Obeah, a spiritualistic religion similar to Voodoo. Voodoo is also practiced by the large number of immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. While well known throughout the Bahamas, Obeah and Voodoo are shunned by many Bahamians.

Cricket is the national sport of the Bahamas. However, being the national sport, it is still not widely known that it is the national sport, same for it not being widely played in the Bahamas. Although British sports like cricket, soccer and rugby have some following, American sports such as basketball, softball, baseball and American football are more popular. In addition, track and field is surprisingly very popular in the Bahamas.

In the summer Olympics of 1964, Bahamians Sir Durwood Knowles and Cecile Cooke won gold medals in sailing. In 2000 the women's relay team won the 4 by 100m relay in Track and Field. And finally in 2004 Tonique Williams-Darling won in the 400m race, once again in Track and Field.

Sources and Further Reading

• Background Note: The Bahamas. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
• Cash, Philip, Don Maples, and Alison Packer. 1987. The making of the Bahamas: a history for schools. Harlow: Longman Caribbean. ISBN 0582028051 and ISBN 9780582028050
• Albury, Paul. 1976. The story of the Bahamas. New York: St. Martin's Press.
• Craton, Michael, and Gail Saunders. 1992. Islanders in the stream: a history of the Bahamian people. Athens: University of Georgia Press. ISBN 0820313823 and ISBN 9780820313825
• Miller, Hubert W. The Colonization of the Bahamas, 1647–1670, The William and Mary Quarterly 2 no.1 (Jan 1945): 33–46.
• Craton, Michael. 1962. A history of the Bahamas. London: Collins.
• Johnson, Howard. 1996. The Bahamas from slavery to servitude, 1783-1933. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0852550855 and ISBN 9780852550854
• Saunders, Gail. 1996. Social life in the Bahamas, 1880s-1920s. BGCSE history topic. Nassau, Bahamas: Rosebud. ISBN 9768108029 and ISBN 9789768108029
• Saunders, Gail. 2004. Bahamian society after emancipation. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle. ISBN 9766370842 and ISBN 9789766370848

External links

• International Financial Centre of Choice. Bahamas Finacial Service Board. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
• Statutory Instruments. Constitutions. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
• Rum Cay, Unspoiled Jewel of the Caribean. RumCay. Retrieved April 22, 2007.

Countries and territories of the Caribbean

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

Dependencies and other territories British Anguilla · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands Dutch Aruba · Netherlands Antilles French Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint-Barthélemy · St. Martin American Navassa Island · Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands

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