Bahamas Flag and Meaning

Flag of Bahamas

Bahamas Flag Meaning

The Bahamas flag was adopted on July 10, 1973 in connection with independence. A competition was announced for the appearance of the new national flag and many entries included sunrises. Hence the sunrise on the coat of arms.

The flag is made up of three horizontal ribbons in the colors blue and yellow. The black triangle to the left of the flag symbolizes the unity of the approximately 300,000 inhabitants. The colors of the ribbons symbolize yellow for the sun and blue for the sea.

Bahamas Overview

The area consists of a number of islands, rocky reefs and volcanic islands extending from the coast of Florida to the Dominican Republic. Of the 750 islands, only 30 are inhabited. The main ones are: New Providence, where the capital is located; Gran Bahama; Eleutera; Abaco and Andros; Long Island; Exuma and Bimini. These are islands with calcareous soils, with coral reefs emerging from the seabed. The lack of rivers prevents the exploitation of a climate that would otherwise be advantageous for agriculture, which is therefore limited to modest sisal, citrus and cotton cultivation. The primary source of revenue is tourism, concentrated in New Providence. The impact of industrial development taking place outside the boundaries of the archipelago, the warming of the seas, as well as the increase in the frequency of tropical hurricanes and the soil erosion of the coastlines are the main environmental problems.

The people: The descendants of African slaves make up 86% of the population. 12% come from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The rest from Asia and Latin America.

Religion: Non-Anglican Protestants make up 55%, of which 32% are Baptists; ca. 20% are Anglicans and 19% Catholics.

Language: The official language is English as well as Creole.

Political parties: National Freedom Movement (FNM); The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), founded in 1953, united the African population. Avant-garde Party, Socialist Party not represented in Parliament.

Social organizations: There is a labor organization called the Trade Union Congress, which is a kind of LO. In addition, there are a number of smaller unions such as The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, which organizes hotel staff; The Bahamas Union of Teachers, the teachers’ union; The Bahamas Public Service Union, the Public Employees Union; The Airport and Allied Workers Union, the airport staff union; The Musicians and Entertainers Union, the Actors’ Association; The Taxi Cabs Union, the taxi drivers’ union.

Official Name: The Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Capital: Nassau, 260,000 residents. (2008).

Other important cities: Grand Bahama, 42,400 residents; Eleutera, 3,300 residents; Andros, 2,800 residents; Long Island, 1,800 residents

Government: The Head of State is Elisabeth the 2, represented by Governor General Marguerite Pindling since July 2014. The Prime Minister has been Hubert Minnis since May 2017. Two-chamber system, with the Senate having 16 members and the Lower House having 40 members.

National Day: July 10, Independence Day. (1973).

Armed Forces: 2,500 men; of which the police: 1,700 men and the National Guard: 850 men.