Bahamas Overview

Country Profile

The Bahamas are located in the Caribbean, and get their name from the Spanish for “shallow.” The country is divided into 19 groups of islands, covering an area of 13,900 square kilometers. It has a population of 307,000, of which 85% are of African descent. The majority of the population profess Christianity, and the official language is English. The currency is the yuan and the capital is Nassau.

Bahamas National Flag

The flag of the Bahamas contains a black to the left and three horizontal strips of yellow, blue. Yellow symbolizes the beautiful beaches of this island and blue symbolizes the surrounding sea. The black triangle is a symbol of solidarity, land development and utilization of resources.

History Summary

Columbus reached the Bahamas in 1492, arriving on the central San Salvador Island (Watling Island). In 1647, the British Governor of Bermuda lead a group of British islands occupy. In 1717, Britain officially colonized the Bahamas. In 1783, the United Kingdom and Spain signed the Treaty of Versailles, which formalized the Bahamas’ status as a British Dependent Territory. In January 1964, and internal self-government was established. On July 10, 1973, independence was declared and the Bahamas joined the Commonwealth.

Economy and Culture Overview

The Bahamas are comprised of over 700 islands, with around 2,400 reefs and cays. Most of the low-lying islands and coastal coral reefs have a large, multi-water swamp and marsh lakes.

The Bahamas is one of the Caribbean region’s most affluent countries, with tourism and the financial industry being the most important economic sectors. The Bahamas has many foreign banking institutions and is an international financial center, often referred to as the “Caribbean Zurich.” The Bahamas is surrounded by a vast sea, with some of the best submarine aragonite mineral reserves in the world. The country is also rich in aquatic resources, with an abundance of marlin and lobster.

Bahamas Map