Bahamas

Located in the Atlantic Ocean, the Bahamas archipelago (also known as the Lucayan Archipelago) is comprised of some 700 low lying, tropical islands located off the east coast of Florida. Consisting mainly of raised coral reefs and sandbars, with a high point of only 63 m, it is one of the lowest countries in the world. It is unclear whether the name of the islands derive from the Spanish 'baja mar', meaning shallow water, or from the Taíno 'ba ha ma', meaning big upper middle land, which was a term for the region used by the indigenous peoples. Only about 30 of the islands are inhabited, with the majority (about 70 per cent) of people living in Nassau on the island of New Providence.

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas covers a massive 470 000 km² of ocean, stretching from Bimini, just 80 km off the Florida coast, then running along the entire coast of Cuba to Inagua, less than 100 km north of Haiti. The Bahamas sit right on the south western edge of the infamous Bermuda Triangle. The Tropic of Cancer bisects the Bahamian islands of Long Island and Exuma.

The Bahamas, surrounded by the warm Gulf stream, enjoys a tropical marine climate. The hot and rainy season spans from May to October while the cooler season lasts from November to April. Cooler weather is felt more on the north‐western islands. Average monthly temperatures range between 22 to 29 °C. Sea temperatures remain at around 26 °C all year round. Hurricanes and tropical cyclones strike mainly from August to November. The average annual rainfall is about 1 300 mm, with June and September being the wettest months. -—
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—- The prevailing winds have a cooling effect on the often humid climate.

The Bahamas had the 3rd highest per capita GDP in the western hemisphere in 2019, after the United States and Canada -—
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—-. In 2019, over seven million people arrived to the Bahamas by air and sea according to the local authorities. With only 0.8 per cent of arable land, according to FAO, agriculture makes a small contribution to the economy. Manufactured exports often relate to the oceans economy, such as shipping equipment and sea food, but also petroleum. Over 80 per cent of GDP comes from the service sector where four in five persons are employed -—
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—-, many in tourism and transport. Travel and tourism's contribution to the economy is large. Almost 7.3 million tourists arrived in the country in 2019 and inbound tourism expenditure reached 28 per cent over GDP -—
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—-. The islands are also an important centre for business and financial services and banking -—
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The Bahamas is a hub for transshipment and shipping services. It has one of the highest numbers of registered ships in the world ‐ in particular, cruise ships that sail in the Caribbean. Other industries include oil bunkering, salt, rum, aragonite and pharmaceuticals. Because of its ship registries and heavy reliance on tourism, the Bahamas does not collect taxes on personal income or capital gains. Revenues are mainly generated from tariffs on imported goods, value added tax and property taxes, as well as from tourists who visit the country.

The Bahamas imports almost all its food. However, some fruits are cultivated locally, mainly: tomatoes, pineapple, banana, mango, guava, sapodilla, soursop, grapefruit and sea grape. Some pigs, sheep and cattle are also raised. A small industry catches spiny lobster, grouper and conch.

The national dish is Conch, a staple in the Bahamas. It is a large tropical mollusc (sea snail) with firm, white flesh. It is often served raw as Conch salad with lime juice, vegetables and fruit.

On 26 December each year, the Bahamians celebrate Junkanoo. It is a spectacular carnival, characterized by colourful costumes, stilt dancers, street dancers, clowns and acrobats, all accompanied by powerful rhythms beaten traditionally on goatskin drums, cowbells, bugles, horns, whistles and conch shells.

Cricket is the national sport of the Bahamas but track and field is also very popular. The Bahamas have produced some notable athletic stars, including: Frank Rutherford, Chandra Sturrup, Debbie Ferguson, Eldece Clarke‐Lewis, Pauline Davis‐Thompson, Savatheda Fynes, Tonique Williams‐Darling and Shaunae Miller.

For scuba divers, the Bahamas boasts the longest known underwater cave system in the world beneath Grand Bahama Island. It also has Dean's Blue Hole, located west of Clarence Town on Long Island, which, at 202 m, is one of the deepest blue holes in the world. The warm waters surrounding the islands boast colourful fish and turtles. Andros Island offers the 225 km‐long Andros Barrier Reef, one of the longest coral reefs in the world.

The Bahamas have a number of national symbols: the yellow elder is the national flower, the Lignum Vitae (tree of life) the national tree, the flamingo the national bird and the blue marlin the national fish of the islands.