|
|
|
Bahamas Overview The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an independent English-speaking nation in the West Indies. An archipelago of 700 islands and cays (which are small islands), the Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida in the United States, north of Cuba and the Caribbean, and west of the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Official language - English Capital - Nassau Queen - Elizabeth II Governor General - Dame Ivy Dumont Prime Minister - Perry Christie Population - 303,611 Independence Date From the United Kingdom - July 10, 1973 Currency - Bahamian dollar Time zone UTC -5 National anthem - March On, Bahamaland Internet TLD - .bs Calling Code - 1 History Christopher Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492 is believed to have been on the island of San Salvador (also called Watling's Island), located in the southern Bahamas. He encountered friendly Arawak (also known as Lucayan) Amerindians and exchanged gifts with them. The subsequent ethnic cleansing of the Arawak peoples is believed to have been greatly facilitated by this and other european expeditions in the region. From the late 1400s until the 1600s, Spain controlled the Bahamas. In the 18th century, British Loyalists who had left New England due to increasing anti-British sentiments moved to the islands. Due to the large number of British settlers across the islands, custody of the chain was transferred from Spain to Britain, and the Bahama Islands were named a British colony in 1783. In 1973, Bahamians voted for and received independence from Britain while remaining a part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Since attaining independence, the Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Demographics Most of the Bahamian population is black (85%); about 12% is white. The official language is English, spoken by virtually all inhabitants, though many speak a "patois" form of it. A small number of immigrants also speak Creole. A heavily religious country, there are more places of worship per person in the Bahamas than any other nation in the world. Christianity is the main religion on the islands, with Baptists forming the largest denomination (about one third), followed by the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. A few people, especially in the southern and eastern islands, practice obeah, a spiritistic religion similar to voodoo. While well-known throughout the Bahamas, obeah is shunned by many people. Culture Bahamanian culture is a hybrid of African, European and indigenous forms. Perhaps its most famous export is a rhythmic form of music called junkanoo. Climate The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical, and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter. 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 in 1992, and Hurricane Floyd hit most of the islands in 1999. Hurricane Frances 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. For More Bahamas Details Click Here |
|
Welcome to Bahamas Custom Travel Packages! We specialize in finding the best air and hotel packages to the Bahamas available. Just use the search box to your left and choose from scores of different Bahamas Vacation Package options. |
