| The commonwealth of the Bahamas is in | | | | The pirates even disrupted the area's |
| the West Indies. The country is made up | | | | government at one point by declaring an |
| of an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. | | | | anarchic 'Privateer's Republic' and |
| This means that it is comprised of a | | | | ransacking Charlestown, which would |
| series of islands, which connect to the | | | | later become Nassau. The islands had |
| mainland, thus the pluralized name. | | | | been through the hands of the Spanish |
| The Bahamas was a British colony from | | | | and they had all but destroyed the |
| 1718 and later became an independent | | | | native population of Arawak Indians. The |
| country in 1973, while remaining a part | | | | British stopped a lot of the trouble |
| of the Commonwealth of Nations. They | | | | when they made the islands a British |
| retain Queen Elizabeth II as their | | | | Crown Colony. |
| monarch and still sing God Save the | | | | The islands are mostly Christian, with a |
| Queen as a national anthem. The main | | | | heavy leaning towards the Protestant |
| language is English though some speak | | | | church, other denominations being |
| variants of English, Spanish and | | | | present but in minority. A very small |
| Portuguese. | | | | minority practise Obeah and Voodoo, both |
| The capital city is Nassau, which is | | | | similar to each other, as spiritualistic |
| located on the island New Providence, | | | | folk beliefs. |
| though Andros Island is the largest in | | | | The Prime Minister of the Bahamas is |
| the group. The city was a haven for the | | | | Perry Gladstone Christie, born 1944, and |
| pirates that sailed the Caribbean, | | | | third Prime Minister of the nation. |
| including the famous Blackbeard, and was | | | | Christie has earned awards for his |
| fought over by several nations, notably | | | | efforts in urban renewal and community |
| Spain and England. The whole region was | | | | policing, though has also been in |
| notorious in legend for pirate activity, | | | | scandal surrounding his political |
| and is used as a set for many books and | | | | tactics. |
| films on the subject. | | | | |