The Bahamas: Difference between revisions

Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
	Flag Coat of arms of Bahamas Coat of arms
	Motto: "Forward, Upward, Onward Together"
	Anthem: "March On, Bahamaland" Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen"
Capital	Nassau
Official languages	English
Ethnic groups	85% Black (esp. West African), 12% European, 3% Other
Demonym(s)	Bahamian
Government	Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Queen Elizabeth II
• Governor-General	Arthur Dion Hanna
• Prime Minister	Hubert A. Ingraham
Independence from the United Kingdom
• Self-governing	1967
• Full independence	July 10, 1973
Area
• Total	13,878 km2 (5,358 sq mi) (160th)
• Water (%)	28%
Population
• 2007 estimate	330,549 (177th)
• 1990 census	254,685
• Density	23.27/km2 (60.3/sq mi) (181st)
GDP (PPP)	2008 estimate
• Total	$9.228 billion (145th)
• Per capita	$27,394 (38th)
GDP (nominal)	2008 estimate
• Total	$7.463 billion
• Per capita	$22,156
HDI (2007)	0.845; Error: Invalid HDI value (49th)
Currency	Dollar (BSD)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Drives on	left
Calling code	+1-242
ISO 3166 code	BS
Internet TLD	.bs

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The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent, English-speaking country consisting of 2,387 rocks, 661 cays and 29 islands. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the United States of America; northeast to east of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and north to east of the Caribbean Sea; and west to northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Its size is almost 14,000 km² with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau. It remains a Commonwealth realm.

History

The seafaring Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 7th century AD. These people came to be known as the Lucayans. There were an estimated 30,000+ Lucayans at the time of Columbus' arrival in 1492. Christopher Columbus' first landfall in the New World was on an island named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans as Guanahani), which is generally accepted to be present-day San Salvador Island, (also known as Watling's Island) in the southeastern Bahamas. Here, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.

The Spaniards who followed Columbus depopulated the islands, carrying most of the indigenous people off into slavery. The Lucayans throughout the Bahamas were wiped out by exposure to diseases for which they had no immunity.^[4] The smallpox that ravaged the Taino Indians after Columbus's arrival wiped out half of the population on what is now the Bahamas.^[5] It is generally assumed that the islands were uninhabited until the mid-17th century. However, recent research suggests that there may have been attempts to settle the islands by groups from Spain, France, and Britain, as well as by other Amerindians. In 1648, the Eleutherian Adventurers migrated from Bermuda. These English puritans established the first permanent European settlement on an island which they named Eleuthera — the name derives from the Greek word for freedom. They later settled New Providence, naming it Sayle's Island after one of their leaders. To survive, the settlers resorted to salvaged goods from wrecks.

In 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas, who rented the islands from the king with rights of trading, tax, appointing governors, and administering the country.^[6]

During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard. To restore orderly government, the Bahamas was made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers, who, after a difficult struggle, succeeded in suppressing piracy.^[7]

During the American Revolutionary War, the islands were a target for American naval forces under the command of Commodore Ezekial Hopkins. The capital of Nassau on the island of New Providence was occupied by US Marines for a fortnight.

In 1782, after the British defeat at Yorktown, a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau, which surrendered without fight. But the 1783 Treaty of Versailles — which ended the global conflict between Britain, France and Spain — returned the Bahamas to British sovereignty.

After the American Revolution, some 7,300 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas from New York, Florida and the Carolinas. These Americans established plantations on several islands and became a political force in the capital. The small population became mostly African from this point on.

The British abolished the slave trade in 1807, which led to the forced settlement on Bahamian islands of thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy. Slavery itself was finally abolished in the British Empire on August 1 1834.

Modern political development began after the Second World War. The first political parties were formed in the 1950s and the British made the islands internally self-governing in 1964, with Roland Symonette of the United Bahamian Party as the first premier.

In 1967, Lynden Pindling of the Progressive Liberal Party became the first black premier of the colony, and in 1968 the title was changed to prime minister. In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent, but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Sir Milo Butler was appointed the first black governor-general (the representative of Queen Elizabeth II) shortly after independence.

Based on the twin pillars of tourism and offshore finance, the Bahamian economy has prospered since the 1950s. However, there remain significant challenges in areas such as education, health care, international narcotics trafficking and illegal immigration from Haiti.

The origin of the name "Bahamas" is unclear. It may derive from the Spanish baja mar, meaning "shallow seas";^{[citation needed]} or the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma "large upper middle land".^{[citation needed]}

Geography and Climate

The closest island to the United States is Bimini, which is also known as the gateway to the Bahamas. The island of Abaco is to the east of Grand Bahama, also known as the "Big Island". The southeasternmost island is Great Inagua. Other notable islands include the Bahamas' largest island, Andros Island, and Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma and Mayaguana. Nassau, the Bahamas capital city, lies on the island of New Providence.

All the islands are low and flat, with ridges that usually rise no more than 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft). The highest point in the country is Mount Alvernia, formerly called Como Hill, which has an altitude of 63 metres (207 ft) on Cat Island. To the southeast, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and three more extensive submarine features called Mouchoir Bank, Silver Bank, and Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation of the Bahamas, but not part of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.^{[citation needed]}

Wettest tropical cyclones and their remnants in the Bahamas
Highest-known totals
Precipitation			Storm	Location	Ref.
Rank	mm	in	Storm	Location	Ref.
1	747.5	29.43	Noel 2007	Long Island	^[8]
2	580.1	22.84	Dorian 2019	Hope Town	^[9]
3	500.3	19.70	Matthew 2016	Matthew Town, Inagua	^[10]
4	436.6	17.19	Flora 1963	Duncan Town	^[11]
5	390.1	15.36	Inez 1966	Nassau Airport	^[11]
6	337.1	13.27	Fox 1952	New Providence	^[11]
7	321.1	12.64	Michelle 2001	Nassau	^[12]
8	309.4	12.18	Erin 1995	Church Grove	^[13]
9	260.0	9.88	Fay 2008	Freeport	^[14]
10	236.7	9.32	Floyd 1999	Little Harbor Abacos	^[15]

The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical, and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter.^[16] Conversely, this often proves very dangerous in the summer and autumn, when hurricanes pass near or through the islands. Hurricane Andrew hit the northern islands during the 1992 Atlantic hurricane season, and Hurricane Floyd hit most of the islands during the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Frances hit in 2004; the Atlantic hurricane season of 2004 was expected to be the worst ever for the islands. Also in 2004, the northern Bahamas were hit by a less potent Hurricane Jeanne. In 2005 the northern islands were once again struck, this time by Hurricane Wilma. In Grand Bahama, tidal surges and high winds destroyed homes and schools, floated graves and made roughly 1,000 people homeless, most of whom lived on the west coast of the island.

While there has never been a freeze reported in the Bahamas, the temperature can fall as low as 2-3°C during Arctic outbreaks that affect nearby Florida. Snow has been reported to have mixed with rain in Freeport in January, 1977, the same time that it snowed in the Miami, FL area. The temperature was about 5°C at the time.^{[citation needed]}

Districts

The districts of the Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere in The Bahamas except New Providence, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government. The districts other than New Providence are:

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates
Type	Family	Handles wiki table code?^†	Responsive/ mobile suited	Start template	Column divider	End template
Float	"col-float"	Yes	Yes	{{col-float}}	{{col-float-break}}	{{col-float-end}}
Float	"columns-start"	Yes	Yes	{{columns-start}}	{{column}}	{{columns-end}}
Columns	"div col"	Yes	Yes	{{div col}}	–	{{div col end}}
Columns	"columns-list"	No	Yes	{{columns-list}} (wraps div col)	–	–
Flexbox	"flex columns"	No	Yes	{{flex columns}}	–	–
Table	"col"	Yes	No	{{col-begin}}, {{col-begin-fixed}} or {{col-begin-small}}	{{col-break}} or {{col-2}} .. {{col-5}}	{{col-end}}

^† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

Government and politics

Bahamian Parliament, located in downtown Nassau

The Bahamas is a sovereign independent nation. Political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom and the Westminster system.

The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state (represented by a governor-general).

Legislative power is vested in a bicameral parliament, which consists of a 41-member House of Assembly (the lower house), with members elected from single-member districts, and a 16-member Senate, with members appointed by the governor-general, including nine on the advice of the prime minister, four on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and three on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition. The House of Assembly carries out all major legislative functions. As under the Westminster system, the prime minister may dissolve parliament and call a general election at any time within a five-year term.

The prime minister is the head of government and is the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the cabinet, selected by the prime minister and drawn his supporters in the House of Assembly. The current governor-general is Arthur Dion Hanna and the current prime minister is Hubert Ingraham.

The Bahamas has a largely two-party system dominated by the centre-left Progressive Liberal Party and the centre-right Free National Movement. A handful of splinter parties have been unable to win election to parliament. These parties have included the Bahamas Democratic Movement, the Coalition for Democratic Reform and the Bahamian Nationalist Party.

Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. Although the Bahamas is not geographically located in the Caribbean, it is a member of the Caribbean Community. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Jurisprudence is based on English law.

Demographics

Population: 307,541 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure: 0–14 years: 29% (male 43,964; female 43,250) 15–64 years: 64.7% (male 95,508; female 98,859) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 7,948; female 11,000) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.86% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 18.69 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.08 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.87 years. Female: 73.49 years (2002 est.) Male: 66.32 years

Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s)

Adjective: Bahamian

Ethnic groups: black 85%, white 12%, Asian 3%

Religions: Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%^[17] The 'other' category includes Jews, Muslims, Baha'is, Hindus, Rastafarians, and practitioners of Obeah.^[18]

Languages: English (official), Bahamian Dialect, ^[19]

Literacy (age 15+): total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)^[20]

Culture

In the less developed outer islands, handicrafts include basketry made from palm fronds. This material, commonly called "straw", is plaited into hats and bags that are popular tourist items. Another use is for so-called "Voodoo dolls," despite the fact that such dolls are the result of the American imagination and not based on historic fact.^[21]

Obeah, a religion of folk magic, sorcery, and religious practices derived from Central African and West African origins, is practiced in some of the Family Islands (out-islands) of the Bahamas.

Junkanoo is a street parade with music, which occurs in many towns across The Bahamas every Boxing Day (December 26), New Year's Day and, more recently, in the summer on the island of Grand Bahama. The largest Junkanoo parade happens in Nassau, the capital. Junkanoo is a Bahamian cultural expression, which has been derived from Bahamians' ancestry. In theses parades, the locals showcase a wonderful part of their culture in three forms: Music, Art and Dance. There is a huge controversy about the origin of Junkanoo, as many historians have offered explanations for the origins and beginning of this festival. The most accepted one is that the word “Junkanoo” comes from the name John Canoe, who was an African prince and slave trader operating on the Gold Coast in the seventeenth (17th) century. He was said to have outwitted the English and subsequently gained control of Fort Brandenbury. Therefore, the Dutch and English alike feared him. However, to the slaves, he was a hero and was worshipped and idolized by them. Those slaves who were brought here to the Bahamas kept up this distinct form of worship.

In the pre-Emancipation era, the slaves were allowed three (3) days off during the year: 1st January, 25th December and 26th December. On the 1st January and the 26th December, they were allowed to perform their Junkanoo festival. The 26th December was the day for exchanging gifts and visiting friends. After Emancipation however, the festival continued, and individual characters such as Neptune and Amphitrite portrayed John Canoe. On the entertainment and arts side, the Bahamas is well known for having talented songwriters, vocalists, actors and had its' first movie produced and released in 1996.

Regattas are important social events in many family island settlements. They usually feature one or more days of sailing by old-fashioned work boats, as well as an onshore festival.

Some settlements have festivals associated with the traditional crop or food of that area, such as the "Pineapple Fest" in Gregory Town, Eleuthera or the "Crab Fest" on Andros. Other significant traditions include story telling.

References

^ "1973: Bahamas' sun sets on British Empire" (HTML). BBC News. July 9, 1973. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
^ Population estimates for the Bahamas take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The Bahamas". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
^ "Looking for Columbus". Joanne E. Dumene. Five Hundred Magazine. April 1990, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 11-15
^ Schools Grapple With Columbus's Legacy: Intrepid Explorer or Ruthless Conqueror?. Education Week. October 9, 1991.
^ "Diocesan History" (HTML). © Copyright 2009 Anglican Communications Department. 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
^ Woodard, Colin (2007). The Republic of Pirates. Harcourt, Inc. pp. 166–168, 262–314. ISBN 978-0-15-603462-3. {{cite book}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)
^ Brown, Daniel P (December 17, 2007). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Noel (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
^ Avila, Lixion A; Stewart, Stacy R; Berg, Robbie; Hagen, Andrew B (April 20, 2020). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
^ Stewart, Stacy R (April 3, 2017). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c Roth, David M. (January 3, 2023). "Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima". Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Data. United States Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 6, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Beven III, John L (January 23, 2002). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Michelle (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
^ Rappaport, Edward N (November 26, 1995). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Erin (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
^ Beven III, John L; Stewart, Stacey R (February 8, 2009). Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Fay 2008 (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
^ Pasch, Richard J; Kimberlain, Todd B; Stewart, Stacey R (November 18, 1999). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Floyd (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
^ Location and General Description Bahamian dry forests, The Encyclopedia of Earth
^ Religion, Faith and God in the Bahamas - accessed 8 August 2008
^ Bahamas - International Religious Freedom Report 2005 - accessed 8 August 2008
^ Bahamas Languages - accessed August 8, 2008
^ The Bahamas guide
^ Hurbon, Laennec. "American Fantasy and Haitian Vodou.” Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. Ed. Donald J. Cosentino. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995. 181–97.

External links

Wikimedia Atlas of Bahamas
The Official Tourism Website of The Islands Of The Bahamas
Official website for Bahamas government
Template:Wikitravel
Bahamas Financial Services Board
The Bahamas Constitution
"Bahamas". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
The Bahamas at UCB Libraries GovPubs
Template:Dmoz

By Liz Lotz

[bbc_Bahamas-1] "1973: Bahamas' sun sets on British Empire" (HTML). BBC News. July 9, 1973. Retrieved 2009-05-01.

[pop-2] Population estimates for the Bahamas take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

[imf2-3] "The Bahamas". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2009-04-22.

[4] "Looking for Columbus". Joanne E. Dumene. Five Hundred Magazine. April 1990, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 11-15

[5] Schools Grapple With Columbus's Legacy: Intrepid Explorer or Ruthless Conqueror?. Education Week. October 9, 1991.

[Anglican-6] "Diocesan History" (HTML). © Copyright 2009 Anglican Communications Department. 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-07.

[7] Woodard, Colin (2007). The Republic of Pirates. Harcourt, Inc. pp. 166–168, 262–314. ISBN 978-0-15-603462-3. {{cite book}}: Check |authorlink= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); External link in |authorlink= (help)

[Noel_TCR-8] Brown, Daniel P (December 17, 2007). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Noel (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

[Dorian_19-9] Avila, Lixion A; Stewart, Stacy R; Berg, Robbie; Hagen, Andrew B (April 20, 2020). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved April 28, 2020.

[Matthew_16-10] Stewart, Stacy R (April 3, 2017). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved April 6, 2017.

[WPCMAX-11] Roth, David M. (January 3, 2023). "Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima". Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Data. United States Weather Prediction Center. Retrieved January 6, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[12] Beven III, John L (January 23, 2002). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Michelle (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.

[13] Rappaport, Edward N (November 26, 1995). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Erin (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.

[14] Beven III, John L; Stewart, Stacey R (February 8, 2009). Tropical Cyclone Report: Tropical Storm Fay 2008 (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.

[15] Pasch, Richard J; Kimberlain, Todd B; Stewart, Stacey R (November 18, 1999). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Floyd (PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.

[16] Location and General Description Bahamian dry forests, The Encyclopedia of Earth

[17] Religion, Faith and God in the Bahamas - accessed 8 August 2008

[Freedom-18] Bahamas - International Religious Freedom Report 2005 - accessed 8 August 2008

[19] Bahamas Languages - accessed August 8, 2008

[20] The Bahamas guide

[21] Hurbon, Laennec. "American Fantasy and Haitian Vodou.” Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou. Ed. Donald J. Cosentino. Los Angeles: UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 1995. 181–97.

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v t e Commonwealth realms and dominions
Current	Antigua and Barbuda (monarchy) Australia (monarchy) Bahamas (monarchy) Belize (monarchy) Canada (monarchy) Grenada (monarchy) Jamaica (monarchy) Realm of New Zealand Cook Islands New Zealand Niue Papua New Guinea (monarchy) Saint Kitts and Nevis (monarchy) Saint Lucia (monarchy) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (monarchy) Solomon Islands (monarchy) Tuvalu (monarchy) United Kingdom (monarchy)
Former	Barbados (monarchy) Ceylon (monarchy) Fiji (monarchy) The Gambia (monarchy) Ghana (monarchy) Guyana (monarchy) India Ireland (monarchy) Kenya (monarchy) Malawi (monarchy) Malta (monarchy) Mauritius (monarchy) Newfoundland¹ Nigeria (monarchy) Pakistan (monarchy) Rhodesia² (monarchy) Sierra Leone (monarchy) South Africa (monarchy) Tanganyika (monarchy) Trinidad and Tobago (monarchy) Uganda (monarchy)
¹ Annexed by Canada in 1949 ² Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965, but this was not recognised internationally. Declared itself a republic in 1970.

The Bahamas: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:30, 15 June 2009

History

Geography and Climate

Districts

Column-generating template families

Government and politics

Demographics

Culture

See also

References

Further reading

General history

Economic history

Social history

External links