| The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is located in | | | | crown colony. It remained sparsely settled until the |
| the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida, north of Cuba and | | | | United States expelled thousands of American Tories |
| the Caribbean and consists of 700 islands.The | | | | and their slaves. About 8000 British Loyalists moved |
| archipelago of the Bahamas has a total land area of | | | | to the Bahamas in the late 1700s from New York, |
| 5,382 square miles and a population of approx. | | | | Florida and the Carolinas.Internal self-government was |
| 310,000 concentrated on the islands of New | | | | granted by the British in 1964. In 1973, Bahamians |
| Providence and Grand Bahama.The islands have a | | | | achieved full independence while remaining a member |
| subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream. | | | | of the Commonwealth of Nations.The Bahamian |
| Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New | | | | economy has prospered on tourism and financial |
| Providence. The largest island is Andros Island. | | | | services. But the country still faces challenges in areas |
| Freeport is the second largest city located on the | | | | such education, healthcare, correctional facilites and |
| island of Grand Bahama. The Caicos Islands and the | | | | violent crime and illegal immigration. Today, the |
| Turks islands in the southeast, are not part of the | | | | country enjoys the third highest per capita income in |
| Commonwealth of the Bahamas.The subtropical to | | | | the western hemisphere due to an urban renewal |
| tropical climate is moderated significantly by the | | | | project to help impoverished urban areas in social |
| waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter. | | | | decline in the main islands.Some say the name |
| Summer and autumn is hurricane season.It's believed | | | | 'Bahamas' derives from the Spanish for "shallow sea". |
| that Christopher Columbus first landed on the island | | | | Others trace it to the Lucayan word for Grand |
| of San Salvador in the southeastern Bahamas and | | | | Bahama Island.About 85% of the Bahamian population |
| exchanged gifts with the Amerindians, (Taino, also | | | | is black. The next largest population group are whites |
| known as Lucayan).Taino Indians moved into the | | | | at 12%. Nearly all inhabitants speak English, being the |
| southern Bahamas about the 7th century AD and | | | | official language. A considerable number also speak |
| became the Lucayans. They were deported to | | | | Haitian Creole, Spanish and Portuguese.Christianity is |
| Hispaniola as slaves and Taino societies ceased to | | | | the main religion on the islands, with Baptist forming |
| exist as a separate population due to forced labour, | | | | the largest denomination (about one third), followed |
| warfare, disease, emigration and outmarriage within 2 | | | | by the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches.A large |
| decades.The Bahamian islands were deserted, after | | | | number of immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Dominican |
| the Lucayans were destroyed, until English settlers | | | | Republic and Jamaica practice Obeah, a spiritistic |
| arrived from Bermuda in 1650. These people | | | | religion similar to Voodoo. While well-known |
| established settlements on the island now called | | | | throughout the Bahamas, obeah is shunned by many |
| Eleuthera.In 1718 the Bahamas became a British | | | | people. |