This article is about the country. For the Canadian singer-guitarist see Bahamas (musician). Commonwealth of The Bahamas Motto: "Forward Upward Onward Together" Anthem: "March On Bahamaland" Royal anthem: "God Save the Queen" Capital (and largest city) Nassau 254N 7720W / 25.067N 77.333W / 25.067; -77.333 Official language(s) English Recognised regional languages Bahamian Dialect Ethnic groups  85% Africans 12% Europeans 3% Asians and Hispanics1 Demonym Bahamian Government Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Elizabeth II  -  Governor-General Sir Arthur Foulkes  -  Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham Legislature Parliament  -  Upper House Senate  -  Lower House House of Assembly Independence from the United Kingdom   -  Self-governing 1865   -  Full independence July 10 19732  Area  -  Total 13878 km2 (160th) 5358 sq mi   -  Water (%) 28% Population  -  2009 estimate 3300003 (177th)  -  1990 census 254685   -  Density 23.27/km2 (181st) 60/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate  -  Total $8.921 billion4   -  Per capita $258944  GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate  -  Total $7.538 billion4   -  Per capita $218784  HDI (2010) 0.7845 (high) (43rd) Currency Bahamian dollar (BSD) Time zone EST (UTC5)  -  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC4) Drives on the left Internet TLD .bs Calling code +1-242

The Bahamas (i / bhmz/) officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is a nation consisting of 29 islands 661 cays and 2387 islets (rocks). It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeast of the United States (nearest to the state of Florida). Its total land area is 13939 km2 (5382 sq mi) with an estimated population of 330000. Its capital is Nassau. Geographically The Bahamas lie in the same island chain as Cuba Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands; the designation of Bahamas refers normally to the Commonwealth and not the geographic chain.

Originally inhabited by the Lucayans a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taino people The Bahamas were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonized The Bahamas they shipped the native Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 to 1648 when British colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.

The Bahamas became a Crown Colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. Following the American War of Independence thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to The Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in The Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery itself was abolished in 1834 and the descendants of enslaved and liberated Africans form the bulk of The Bahamas's population today.

By the terms of GDP per capita the Bahamas is the third richest country in the Americas (following the United States and Canada) the richest one that lies south of the Mexico - US border as well as the richest one in the world whose population is predominantly of African origin. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 18th century 2.2 20th century 3 Geography and climate 3.1 Climate 4 Government and politics 4.1 Administrative divisions 4.2 Military 4.3 National symbols 4.3.1 National flag 4.3.2 Coat of arms 4.3.3 National flower 5 Economy 6 Ethnic groups 6.1 Afro-Bahamians 6.2 Europeans 7 Demographics 8 Culture 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 11.1 General history 11.2 Economic history 11.3 Social history 12 External links Etymology

The origin of the name Bahamas is unclear. It may derive from the Spanish baja mar ("shallow seas") or the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama island ba-ha-ma ("large upper middle land").6 History Map of The Bahamas Main article: History of The Bahamas

Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 11th century AD. These people came to be known as the Lucayans. There were an estimated 30000+ Lucayans at the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492. Christopher Columbus's 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.

An alternative theory holds that Columbus landed to the southeast on Samana Cay according to calculations made in 1986 by National Geographic writer and editor Joseph Judge based on Columbus's log. Evidence in support of this remains inconclusive. On the landfall island Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.

The Lucayans throughout The Bahamas were wiped out by exposure to diseases to which they had no immunity.7 The smallpox that ravaged the Taino Indians after Columbus's arrival wiped out half of the population in what is now The Bahamas.8

It is generally assumed that the islands were uninhabited by Europeans 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 Eleutherathe 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.9 In 1684 Spain's corsair Juan de Alcon raided the capital Charles Town and in 1703 a joint Franco-Spanish expedition briefly occupied the Bahamian capital during the War of the Spanish Succession. 18th century During proprietary rule The Bahamas became a haven for pirates including the infamous Blackbeard. To restore orderly government The Bahamas were made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers who after a difficult struggle succeeded in suppressing piracy.10 In 1720 Rogers led local militia to drive off a Spanish attack. During the American War of Independence 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 following the British defeat at Yorktown a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau and the city surrendered without a fight. After American independence some 7300 Loyalists and their slaves moved to The Bahamas from New York Florida and The Carolinas. These Loyalists 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. 20th century 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 Sir Roland Symonette of the United Bahamian Party as the first premier. In 1967 Sir 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 Bahamian 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 housing international narcotics trafficking and illegal immigration from Haiti. Geography and climate Main article: Geography of The Bahamas The Bahamas from space. NASA Aqua satellite image 2009 The country lies between latitudes 20 and 28N and longitudes 72 and 80W. 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. The southeasternmost island is Inagua. The largest island is Andros Island. Other inhabited islands include Eleuthera Cat Island Long Island San Salvador Island Acklins Crooked Island Exuma and Mayaguana. Nassau capital city of The Bahamas 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 Climate See also: Geography of the Bahamas The climate of The Bahamas is subtropical to tropical and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream particularly in winter.11 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. While there has never been a freeze reported in The Bahamas the temperature can fall as low as 23 C (35.637.4 F) during Arctic outbreaks that affect nearby Florida. Snow was reported to have mixed with rain in Freeport in January 1977 the same time that it snowed in the Miami area.12 The temperature was about 4.5 C (40.1 F) at the time.13 Climate data for Nassau Bahamas Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high C (F) 25.4 (77.7) 25.5 (77.9) 26.6 (79.9) 27.9 (82.2) 29.7 (85.5) 31.0 (87.8) 32.0 (89.6) 32.1 (89.8) 31.6 (88.9) 29.9 (85.8) 27.8 (82) 26.2 (79.2) 28.8 (83.8) Daily mean C (F) 21.4 (70.5) 21.4 (70.5) 22.3 (72.1) 23.8 (74.8) 25.6 (78.1) 27.2 (81) 28.0 (82.4) 28.1 (82.6) 27.7 (81.9) 26.2 (79.2) 24.2 (75.6) 22.3 (72.1) 24.8 (76.6) Average low C (F) 17.3 (63.1) 17.3 (63.1) 17.9 (64.2) 19.6 (67.3) 21.4 (70.5) 23.3 (73.9) 24.0 (75.2) 24.0 (75.2) 23.7 (74.7) 22.5 (72.5) 20.6 (69.1) 18.3 (64.9) 20.8 (69.4) Precipitation mm (inches) 39.4 (1.551) 49.5 (1.949) 54.4 (2.142) 69.3 (2.728) 105.9 (4.169) 218.2 (8.591) 160.8 (6.331) 235.7 (9.28) 164.1 (6.461) 161.8 (6.37) 80.5 (3.169) 49.8 (1.961) 1389.4 (54.701) Avg. precipitation days 8 6 7 8 10 15 17 19 17 15 10 8 140 Sunshine hours 220.1 220.4 257.3 276.0 269.7 231.0 272.8 266.6 213.0 223.2 222.0 213.9 2886 Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN)14 Hong Kong Observatory15 for data of sunshine hours Government and politics Main article: Politics of The Bahamas Bahamian Parliament located in downtown Nassau Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham 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 parliamentary democracy with two main parties the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party. Tourism generates about half of all jobs but the number of visitors has dropped significantly since the beginning of the global economic downturn during the last quarter of 2008. Banking and international financial services also have contracted and The Bahamas is one of 34 secrecy jurisdictions that would be subject to the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act introduced in the U.S. Congress. The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and a Commonwealth realm 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 from his supporters in the House of Assembly. The current governor-general is Sir Arthur Foulkes 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. Administrative divisions Districts of The Bahamas Main article: Political divisions of the Bahamas The districts of The Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere except New Providence whose affairs are handled directly by the central government. In 1996 the Bahamian Parliament passed "The Local Government Act" to facilitate the establishment of Family Island Administrators Local Government Districts Local District Councillors and Local Town Committees for the various island communities. The overall goal of this act is to allow the various elected leaders to govern and oversee the affairs of their respective districts without the interference of Central Government. In total there are 32 districts with elections being held every three years. There are also one hundred and ten Councillors and two hundred and eighty-one Town Committee members to correspond with the various districts.16 Each Councillor or Town Committee member is responsible for the proper use of public funds for the maintenance and development of their constituency. The districts other than New Providence are: Acklins Berry Islands Bimini Black Point Exuma Cat Island Central Abaco Central Andros Central Eleuthera City of Freeport Grand Bahama Crooked Island East Grand Bahama Exuma Grand Cay Abaco Harbour Island Eleuthera Hope Town Abaco Inagua Long Island Mangrove Cay Andros Mayaguana Moore's Island Abaco North Abaco North Andros North Eleuthera Ragged Island Rum Cay San Salvador South Abaco South Andros South Eleuthera Spanish Wells Eleuthera West Grand Bahama Green Turtle Cay (not shown on map on the right) Military Main article: Royal Bahamas Defence Force The Bahamas does not have an army or an air force. Its military is comprised of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) the navy of The Bahamas. Under The Defence Act the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has been mandated to defend The Bahamas protect its territorial integrity patrol its waters provide assistance and relied in times of disaster maintain order in conjunction with the law enforcement agencies of The Bahamas and carry out any such duties as determined by the National Security Council. The Defence Force is also a member of Caricom's Regional Security Task Force. National symbols National flag National Flag of The Bahamas The colours embodied in the design of the Bahamian flag symbolise the image and aspirations of the people of The Bahamas; the design reflects aspects of the natural environment (sun sand and sea) and the economic and social development. The flag is a black equilateral triangle against the mast superimposed on a horizontal background made up of two colours on three equal stripes of aquamarine gold and aquamarine. The symbolism of the flag is as follows: Black a strong colour represents the vigour and force of a united people the triangle pointing towards the body of the flag represents the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop and possess the rich resources of sun and sea symbolized by gold and aquamarine respectively. In reference to the representation of the people with the colour black some white Bahamians have joked that they are represented in the thread which "holds it all together."17 Bahamian Coat of Arms Coat of arms Main article: Coat of arms of The Bahamas The Coat of Arms of The Bahamas contains a shield with the national symbols as its focal point. The shield is supported by a marlin and a flamingo which are the national animals of The Bahamas. The flamingo is located on the land and the marlin on the sea indicating the geography of the islands. On top of the shield is a conch shell which represents the varied marine life of the island chain. The conch shell rests on a helmet. Below this is the actual shield the main symbol of which is a ship representing the Santa Mara of Christopher Columbus shown sailing beneath the sun. Along the bottom below the shield appears a banner upon which is scripted the national motto:18 "Forward Upward Onward Together." The yellow elder National flower The yellow elder was chosen as the national flower of The Bahamas because it is native to the Bahama Islands and it blooms throughout the year. Selection of the yellow elder over many other flowers was made through the combined popular vote of members of all four of New Providence's garden clubs of the 1970s the Nassau Garden Club the Carver Garden Club the International Garden Club and the YWCA Garden Club. They reasoned that other flowers grown there such as the bougainvillea hibiscus and poinciana had already been chosen as the national flowers of other countries. The yellow elder on the other hand was unclaimed by other countries (although it is now also the national flower of the United States Virgin Islands).19 Economy Cruise ships in Nassau Harbour Main article: Economy of The Bahamas One of the most prosperous countries in the Caribbean region The Bahamas relies on tourism to generate most of its economic activity. Tourism as an industry not only accounts for over 60 percent of the Bahamian GDP but provides jobs for more than half the country's workforce.20 After tourism the next most important economic sector is financial services accounting for some 15 percent of GDP. The government has adopted incentives to encourage foreign financial business and further banking and finance reforms are in progress. The government plans to merge the regulatory functions of key financial institutions including the Central Bank of The Bahamas (CBB) and the Securities and Exchange Commission.citation needed The Central Bank administers restrictions and controls on capital and money market instruments. The Bahamas International Securities Exchange currently consists of 19 listed public companies. Reflecting the relative soundness of the banking system (mostly populated by Canadian banks) the impact of the global financial crisis on the financial sector has been limited.citation needed The economy has a very competitive tax regime. The government derives its revenue from import tariffs license fees property and stamp taxes but there is no income tax corporate tax capital gains tax value-added tax (VAT) or wealth tax. Payroll taxes fund social insurance benefits. In the most recent year Overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP is 21.8 percent.citation needed Authorities are trying to increase tax compliance and collection in the wake of the global crisis. Inflation has been moderate averaging 3.7 percent between 2006 and 2008.citation needed By the terms of GDP per capita the Bahamas is the third richest country in the Americas (after the United States and Canada).21 Ethnic groups Main article: Demographics of The Bahamas Afro-Bahamians Afro-Bahamians or Bahamians of African descent are Bahamians whose ancestry lies within the continent of Africa most notably West Africa. The first Africans to arrive to The Bahamas came from Bermuda with the Eleutheran Adventurers as freed slaves looking for a new life. Currently Afro-Bahamians are the largest ethnic group in The Bahamas accounting for some 85% of the country's population.citation needed Europeans European Bahamians or Bahamians of European descent numbering about 3800022 are mainly the descendants of the British Puritans and American Loyalists who arrived in 1649 and 1783 respectively. They form the largest minority group in The Bahamas making up some 12% of the population.citation needed A small portion of the European Bahamian population is descended from Greek labourers who came to help develop the sponging industry in the 1900s. Although making up less than 1% of the nation's population they have been able to preserve their distinct Greek culture.citation needed Demographics Population: 354563 Age structure: 014 years: 25.9% (male 40085; female 38959) 1564 years: 67.2% (male 102154; female 105482) 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 8772; female 12704) (2009 est.) Population growth rate: 0.925% (2010 est.)23 Birth rate: 17.81 births/1000 population (2010 est.) Death rate: 9.35 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.) Net migration rate: -2.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.) Infant mortality rate: 23.21 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.87 years. Female: 73.49 years (2002 est.) Male: 66.32 years Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (2010 est.)24 Nationality: noun: Bahamian(s) Adjective: Bahamian ( /bhemi.n/) Ethnic groups: African 85% European 12% Asian and Hispanic 3% (Roughly 1.5% each).1 Religions: Baptist 35.4% Anglican 15.1% Roman Catholic 13.5% Pentecostal 8.1% Church of God 4.8% Methodist 4.2% other Christian 15.2%1 other Protestant 12% none or unknown 3% other 2%25 The 'other' category includes Jews Muslims Baha'is Hindus Rastafarians and practitioners of Obeah.26 Languages: English (official) Bahamian dialect 27 Literacy (age 15+): total population: 98.2% male: 98.5% female: 98% (1995 est.)28 Culture Main articles: Culture of The Bahamas and Music of The Bahamas Junkanoo celebration in Nassau 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" even though such dolls are the result of the American imagination and not based on historic fact.29 Although not practised by native Bahamians a form of folk magic obeah derived from West African origins is practiced in some Family Islands (out-islands) of The Bahamas due to Haitian migration. The practice of obeah is however illegal in The Bahamas and punishable by law.30 Junkanoo is a traditional African street parade of music dance and art held in Nassau (and a few other settlements) every Boxing Day New Year's Day. Junkanoo is also used to celebrate other holidays and events such as Emancipation Day. 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. See also Caribbean portal Commonwealth realms portal Main article: Outline of The Bahamas Main article: Transport in The Bahamas Index of Bahamas-related articles List of international rankings Outline of geography Outline of North America Member of Commonwealth of Nations United Nations Organization of American States Caribbean Community References a b c https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bf.html "1973: Bahamas' sun sets on British Empire". BBC News. July 9 1973. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/9/newsid2498000/2498835.stm. 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. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspxpr.x99&pr.y5&sy2008&ey2011&scsm1&ssd1&sortcountry&ds.&br1&c313&sNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp0&a. Retrieved 2011-04-20.  "Human Development Report 2010". United Nations. 2010. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR2010ENTable1.pdf. Retrieved 5 November 2010.  Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles by Julian Granberry and Gary Vescelius "Looking for Columbus". Joanne E. Dumene. Five Hundred Magazine. April 1990 Vol. 2 No. 1 pp. 1115 Schools Grapple With Columbus's Legacy: Intrepid Explorer or Ruthless Conqueror. Education Week. October 9 1991. "Diocesan History". Copyright 2009 Anglican Communications Department. 2009. http://bahamas.anglican.org/history.php. Retrieved 2009-05-07.  Woodard Colin (2009). The Republic of Pirates. Harcourt Inc. pp. 166168 262314. ISBN 978-0-15-603462-3. http://www.republicofpirates.net.  Location and General Description Bahamian dry forests The Encyclopedia of Earth The Weather Doctor Walker N.D. Roberts H.H. Rouse L.J. and Huh O.K. (1981 November 5). Thermal History of Reef-Associated Environments During A Record Cold-Air Outbreak Event. Coral Reefs (1982) 1:83-87 "Weather Information for Nassau". http://www.worldweather.org/025/c00097.htm.  "Climatological Information for Nassau Bahamas" (1961-1990) - Hong Kong Observatory Family Island District Councillors & Town Committee Members http://www.bahamasschools.com/Symbol%20-%20Flag.htm http://www.bahamasschools.com/National%20Coat%20of%20Arms.htm http://www.bahamasschools.com/Symbol%20-%20Flower.htm "The Bahamas - Economy". Encyclopedia of the Nations. Retrieved March 21 2010. Data refer to the year 2010. World Economic Outlook Database-April 2011 International Monetary Fund. Accessed on June 6 2011. David Levinson (1998). "Ethnic groups worldwide: a ready reference handbook". Greenwood Publishing Group. p.317. ISBN 1573560197 CIA World Factbook CIA World Factbook 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. 18197. 1 Further reading General history Cash Philip et al. (Don Maples Alison Packer). The Making of The Bahamas: A History for Schools. London: Collins 1978. Albury Paul. The Story of The Bahamas. London: MacMillan Caribbean 1975. Miller Hubert W. The Colonization of The Bahamas 16471670 The William and Mary Quarterly 2 no.1 (January 1945): 3346. Craton Michael. A History of The Bahamas. London: Collins 1962. Craton Michael and Saunders Gail. Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. Athens:University of Georgia Press 1992 Economic history Johnson Howard. The Bahamas in Slavery and Freedom. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishing 1991. Johnson Howard. The Bahamas from Slavery to Servitude 17831933. Gainesville: University of Florida Press 1996. Alan A. Block. Masters of Paradise New Brunswick and London Transaction Publishers 1998. Storr Virgil H. Enterprising Slaves and Master Pirates: Understanding Economic Life in the Bahamas. New York: Peter Lang 2004. Social history Johnson Wittington B. Race Relations in the Bahamas 17841834: The Nonviolent Transformation from a Slave to a Free Society. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas 2000. Shirley Paul. "Tek Force Wid Force" History Today 54 no. 41 (April 2004): 3035. Saunders Gail. The Social Life in the Bahamas 1880s1920s. Nassau: Media Publishing 1996. Saunders Gail. Bahamas Society After Emancipation. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishing 1990. Curry Jimmy. Filthy Rich Gangster/First Bahamian Movie. Movie Mogul Pictures: 1996. Curry Jimmy. To The Rescue/First Bahamian Rap/Hip Hop Song. Royal Crown Records 1985. Morrelo Ryan. " External links Find more about Bahamas on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Official website Wikimedia Atlas of Bahamas Bahamas travel guide from Wikitravel Bahamas entry at The World Factbook The Bahamas at the Open Directory Project v d e Caribbean topics History Timeline Tano-Arawaks  West Indies (to 1763)  Spanish Caribbean (1492-1886)  Dutch Caribbean (1554-1863)  Under British Control (1586-1834)  French Caribbean (1625-1817) Post-Confederation (1867-1914)  World Wars and Interwar Years (1914-1945)  1945-1960  1960-1980  1980-1990  since 1990 Topics Constitutional   Crown & Independence   Economic   Former colonies & territories   Immigration Military   Monarchical   National Historic Sites   Persons of significance   Territorial evolution Government Law  Constitution  The Crown  Governor General  Parliament (Senate  House of Commons)  Prime Minister (List)  Courts (Supreme Court)  Military  Local Government  Foreign relations  Law enforcement Politics Elections  Gun politics  LGBT rights Geography Regions (west to east) Mountains in the Caribbean  Western Caribbean  Northern Caribbean  Caribbean Lakes  Central Caribbean  Caribbian Rain Forests  Atlantic Caribbean  Caribbean Sea Topics Animals  Cities  Extreme communities  Islands  Mountains  National parks  Plants  Regions  Rivers  Volcanoes Economy Agriculture  Banking  Banks of the Caribbean  Caribbean dollar  Communications   Television stations  Companies  Energy  Fishing  Oil  Stock Exchange  Taxation  Tourism  Transportation  Social programs  Poverty Society Education  Health care  Crime  Obesity Demographics Topics Immigration  Languages  Religion  1996 Census  2001 Census  2006 Census  Population by year Top 100s Metro areas  Urban areas  Municipalities Culture Architecture  Art  Cinema  Cuisine  People  Holidays  Identity  Literature  Music  Nationalism  Protection of  Sport  Theatre  Visitor attractions Symbols Coat of Arms  Flags  National Flag  Provincial and territorial  Regional dress  Royal symbols  Heraldry See also: the Caribbean Portal  Articles Related to The Bahamas v d eBahamas topics Military and Police Royal Bahamas Police Force  Royal Bahamas Defence Force  Commando Squadron  Security & Intelligence Branch History Battle of Nassau  Colonial heads  Eleutheran Adventurers  American Civil War Economy and infrastructure Airports  Communications  Companies  Dollar  Securities Exchange  Transport Geography and environment Birds  Cities  Districts  Islands  Mammals Culture and society Bahamians  Creole  Demographics  Education  Films  Music  Television Judicature Supreme Court of the Bahamas See also: List of Bahamas-related topics   Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 254N 7720W / 25.067N 77.333W / 25.067; -77.333 (Nassau) v d eCountries and territories of the Caribbean  Sovereign states Commonwealth Realms Antigua and Barbuda  Bahamas  Barbados  Grenada  Jamaica  St. Kitts and Nevis  St. Lucia  St. Vincent and the Grenadines Commonwealth republics Dominica  Trinidad and Tobago Other republics Cuba  Dominican Republic  Haiti  Dependencies and other areas by parent state United Kingdom Anguilla  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Montserrat  Turks and Caicos Islands Netherlands Aruba  Bonaire  Curaao  Saba  Saint Eustatius  Sint Maarten France Guadeloupe  Martinique  St. Barthlemy  St. Martin United States Bajo Nuevo Bank  Navassa Island  Puerto Rico  Serranilla Bank  U.S. Virgin Islands v d eCountries and dependencies of North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda  Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Canada  Costa Rica  Cuba  Dominica  Dominican Republic  El Salvador  France (Guadeloupe  Martinique)  Grenada  Guatemala  Haiti  Honduras  Jamaica  Mexico  Nicaragua  Netherlands (Bonaire  Saba  Saint Eustatius)  Panama  St. Kitts and Nevis  St. Lucia  St. Vincent and the Grenadines  Trinidad and Tobago  United States Dependencies Denmark Greenland France Clipperton Island  St. Barthlemy  St. Martin  St. Pierre and Miquelon Netherlands Aruba  Curaao  Sint Maarten United Kingdom Anguilla  Bermuda  British Virgin Islands  Cayman Islands  Montserrat  Turks and Caicos Islands United States Bajo Nuevo Bank  Navassa Island  Puerto Rico  Serranilla Bank  U.S. Virgin Islands  International membership v d eCaribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat (Secretary-General) Nations Members Antigua and Barbuda  Bahamas1  Barbados  Belize  Dominica  Grenada  Guyana  Haiti1  Jamaica  Montserrat2  St. Kitts and Nevis  St. Lucia  St. Vincent and the Grenadines  Suriname  Trinidad and Tobago Associate members Anguilla  Bermuda  Cayman Islands  British Virgin Islands  Turks and Caicos Islands Observers Aruba  Colombia  Curaao  Dominican Republic  Mexico  Puerto Rico  Sint Maarten  Venezuela Institutions CSME  CDEMA  CMO  CMO  CXC  CCJ  CFC  CEHI  CARDI  REPAHA  ACCP  CARICAD  CFNI  CCC  CRITI  Related organizations Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States 1 Member of the Community but not of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).   2 British overseas territory awaiting entrustment to join the CSME. v d e  Commonwealth realms   Current Antigua and Barbuda  Australia  Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Canada  Grenada  Jamaica  New Zealand  Papua New Guinea  St Kitts and Nevis  St Lucia  St Vincent and the Grenadines  Solomon Islands  Tuvalu  United Kingdom   Former Ceylon  Fiji  Gambia  Ghana  Guyana  India1  Ireland1  Kenya  Malawi  Malta  Mauritius  Newfoundland2  Nigeria  Pakistan  Rhodesia3  Sierra Leone  South Africa  Tanganyika  Trinidad and Tobago  Uganda   1 Dominion became republic before adoption of the term "realm"   2 Dominion never ratified Statute of Westminster 1931 London-based external government 19341949 annexed by Canada in 1949 3 Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia in 1965 claiming to be a Commonwealth realm but this was unrecognised by the United Kingdom. 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Light blue: Countries and territories where English is an official language but less widely spoken. Click on the coloured regions to view the related article.     Regions where English is an official language and spoken by a significant population Africa Mauritius  Saint Helena  Americas (Anglo-America) Anguilla  Antigua and Barbuda  The Bahamas  Barbados  Belize  Bermuda  British Virgin Islands  Canada  Cayman Islands  Dominica  Falkland Islands  Grenada  Guyana  Jamaica  Montserrat  Puerto Rico  Saba  Saint Kitts and Nevis  Saint Lucia  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  Saint Eustatius  Sint Maarten  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  Trinidad and Tobago  Turks and Caicos Islands  United States  United States Virgin Islands Asia Hong Kong  Philippines  Singapore Europe Gibraltar  Guernsey  Ireland  Isle of Man  Jersey  Malta  United Kingdom Oceania American Samoa  Australia  Christmas Island  Guam  Marshall Islands  Federated States of Micronesia  Nauru  New Zealand  Norfolk Island  Northern Mariana Islands  Palau  Vanuatu   Regions where English is an official language but not as widely spoken Africa Botswana  Cameroon  Gambia  Ghana  Kenya  Lesotho  Liberia  Malawi  Namibia  Nigeria  Rwanda  Sierra Leone  Somaliland  South Africa  Sudan  Swaziland  Tanzania  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe Asia India  Pakistan    Oceania Cook Islands  Fiji  Niue  Papua New Guinea  Pitcairn Islands  Solomon Islands  Tokelau  Tuvalu