Map of Bahamas

Geography

The Bahamas consists of a chain of islands spread out over some 800 km (500 mi) in the Atlantic Ocean, located to the east of Florida in the United States, north of Cuba and Hispaniola and west of the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands (with which it forms the Lucayan archipelago). It lies between latitudes 20° and 28°N, and longitudes 72° and 80°W and straddles the Tropic of Cancer. There are some 700 islands and 2,400 cays in total (of which 30 are inhabited) with a total land area of 10,010 km2 (3,860 sq mi).

History

The first inhabitants of the Bahamas were Indigenous people Taíno, who moved into the uninhabited southern islands from Hispaniola and Cuba sometime between AD 500 and 800, having migrated there from mainland South America; they came to be known as the Lucayan people. An estimated 30,000 Lucayans inhabited the Bahamas at the time of Christopher Columbus' arrival in 1492.

Columbus' first landfall in what was to Europeans a "New World" was on an island he named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans as Guanahani). While there is a general consensus that this island lay within the Bahamas, precisely which island Columbus landed on is a matter of scholarly debate.

Demographics

The Bahamas had a population of 407,906 at the 2018 Census, of which 25.9 per cent were 14 or under, 67.2 per cent 15 to 64 and 6.9 per cent over 65. It has a population growth rate of 0.925 per cent (2010), with a birth rate of 17.81/1,000 population, death rate of 9.35/1,000, and net migration rate of −2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population. The infant mortality rate is 23.21 deaths/1,000 live births. Residents have a life expectancy at birth of 69.87 years: 73.49 years for females, 66.32 years for males. The total fertility rate is 2.0 children born/woman (2010). The latest official estimate (as at 2022) is 400,516. The Bahamas is one of the highest-ranked Caribbean countries on the UN Human Development Index, showing strong results in income, education, and life expectancy.

Economy

In terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is one of the wealthiest countries in the Americas. Its currency (the Bahamian dollar) is kept at a 1-to-1 peg with the US dollar. The International Monetary Fund's 2023 report states that the Bahamas has improved its financial stability since the pandemic. The country has increased its revenue and begun lowering its fiscal deficit, helped by the return of tourism and financial reforms. However, the report also warns that the Bahamas continues to face risks from global economic shifts, climate threats, and its dependence on imported goods.

The Bahamas relies heavily on tourism to generate most of its economic activity.

Geography

Noteworthy for a unique combination of marine features and ecosystems, Andros is bordered on the east by the 2,000-metre-deep (6,600 ft) Tongue of the Ocean. The Andros Barrier Reef is the world's sixth longest. It runs for 225 km (140 mi), averaging a distance of 2–3 km (1–2 mi) from the Andros shore. The extensive flats of the Great Bahama Bank lie to the west, northwest and south of Andros. The island has the world's largest collection of blue holes.

Geographically, North Andros is the sixth largest island in the West Indies, at roughly 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) in area and 167 km (104 mi) long and 64 km (40 mi) wide at its widest point, and the 153rd largest island on Earth.

History

The Lucayans, a subgroup of the Taíno people, were Indigenous to The Bahamas at the time of European encounter. Archeological artefacts and remains have been found in both Morgan's Cave on North Andros, and in the Stargate Blue Hole on South Andros. The population of The Bahamas is estimated to have been approximately 40,000 Lucayan-Taínos when the Spanish arrived in the region.

Spain claimed the Bahamas after Columbus' arrival on the islands—his first landfall in the Western Hemisphere may have been on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. The Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, for whom the Americas are named, came on a Spanish charter and spent four months exploring The Bahamas in 1499–1500. He mapped a portion of the eastern shore of Andros Island.

Climate

Andros lies just north of the Tropic of Cancer, with moderate temperature range affected by its relative proximity to the Gulf Stream to the west. The island has a tropical climate with only two seasons, summer (May–November) and winter (December–April). Midsummer temperatures range from 27–29 °C (81–84 °F) with a relative humidity of 60 to 100 percent. Winter temperatures range from 21–24 °C (70–75 °F) and can drop to 5 °C (41 °F) after dark. Andros Island is hit by a hurricane an average of every 2.5 years. The Great Florida Hurricane of 1929 is known in The Bahamas as The Great Andros Hurricane. Notable strikes in the modern era have included Hurricanes Betsy (1965), David (1979), Arlene (1987), Andrew (1992), Lili (1996), Floyd (1999), Michelle (2001), Wilma (2005) and Matthew (2016).

Economy

The largest employers on Andros Island are the Bahamian government and the AUTEC base at Fresh Creek.

Despite its small population, Andros Island has several ongoing commercial ventures. Western Air maintains its headquarters in a modern facility at the San Andros airport. A Mennonite mission-run commercial farm was founded near Blanket Sound in 1983, which grows everything from habanero peppers to sorghum and potatoes, and has numerous fruit orchards and honey bee hives.

History

The Indigenous Lucayan people's name for the island was Bahama ('large upper middle island'). Grand Bahama's existence for almost two centuries was largely governed by the nature of the treacherous coral reefs surrounding the island, which repelled its Spanish claimants (who largely left it alone apart from infrequent en route stops by ships for provisions) while attracting pirates, who would lure ships onto the reefs where they would run aground and be plundered. The Spaniards took little interest in the island after enslaving the native Lucayan inhabitants.

In 1670, Charles II of England issued a land patent, granting The Bahamas to the eight Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas. By 1828, Grand Bahama remained almost unpopulated.

Climate

Grand Bahama Island has a mix of tropical monsoon climate (Am) and tropical savanna climate (Aw), consisting of a hot, rainy season from May through October, and a warm, dry season from November through April.

In Freeport, the summer high temperatures average 31 °C (88 °F), and low temperatures average 26 °C (79 °F). During the winter, the average high temperature is 28 °C (82 °F), and the average low is 19 °C (66 °F). The hurricane season lasts from June through November, but the risk of hurricanes is highest during the months of August, September, and October.

Economy

Exports and imports are essential to the economy of The Bahamas. The country is the 137th largest exporter and 117th largest importer in the world. Its major trading partners include the United States, France, and Finland. Top exports include passenger cargo ships, special purpose ships, and refined petroleum. Freeport, a city in Grand Bahama, has some industries that directly contribute to The Bahamas' exports. These major industries are pharmaceutical plants, the Fragrance of The Bahamas perfume factory, an oil transshipment company, and an immunology research center. Agriculture and fisheries are also economically important. Bahamian farms produce crops, poultry, livestock, and dairy.