BAHAMAS

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Bahamas

{| id="toc" border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 align=right width=250 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #efefef;" |- align="center" | colspan=3 | Commonwealth of The Bahamas |- align="center" | colspan=3 | {| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" width="100%" |- | align="center" width="50%" | | align="center" width="50%" | |- valign=top | align="center" | Flag of Bahamas
(Flag of Bahamas) | align="center" | Coat of Arms
(Coat of Arms of Bahamas) |} |- valign=top | National motto | | ''Forward Upward Onward Together'' |- | align=center colspan=3 |
Location of Bahamas |- valign=top | Official language | | English language |- valign=top | Capital | |Nassau, Bahamas |- valign=top | British monarchy | | Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom |- valign=top | List of Governors-General of the Bahamas | | Dame Ivy Dumont |- valign=top | List of Prime Ministers of the Bahamas | | Perry Christie |- valign=top | Area
- Total
- % water | | List of countries by area
1 E10 m2
28% |- valign=top | Population
- Total
- Population density | | List of countries by population
303,611
22/km² |- valign=top | Independence
- Date | | From the United Kingdom
July 10, 1973 |- valign=top | Currency | |Bahamian dollar |- valign=top | Time zone | | Coordinated Universal Time -5 |- valign=top | National anthem | |March On, Bahamaland |- valign=top | Top-level domain | | .bs |- valign=top | List_of_country_calling_codes | | 1-242 |} The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an independent English language-speaking nation in the West Indies. An archipelago of 700 islands and cays (which are small islands), the Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida in the United States, north of Cuba and the Caribbean, and west of the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands. == History == ''Main article: History of the Bahamas'' Christopher Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492 is believed to have been on the island of San Salvador Island (also called Watling's Island), located in the southern Bahamas. He encountered friendly Arawak (also known as Lucayan) Native Americans and exchanged gifts with them. The subsequent ethnic cleansing of the Arawak peoples is believed to have been greatly facilitated by this and other European expeditions in the region. From the late 1400s until the 1600s, Spain controlled the Bahamas. In the 18th century, United Kingdom Loyalist (American Revolution) who had left New England due to increasing anti-British sentiments moved to the islands. Due to the large number of British settlers across the islands, custody of the chain was transferred from Spain to Britain, and the Bahama Islands were named a British colony in 1783. In 1973, Bahamians voted for and received independence from Britain while remaining a part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Since attaining independence, the Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. == Politics == ''Main article: Politics of the Bahamas'' Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of state and the Queen of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, which has remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. She is represented in the Bahamas by a Governor-General of the Bahamas, appointed by the monarch herself. Head of government is the prime minister, usually the leader of the winning party of the elections for the parliament. The Bahamian parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate (with 16 members) and the House of Assembly (40). Elections are held every 5 years. == Districts == ''Main article: Districts of the Bahamas'' == Economy == ''Main article: Economy of the Bahamas'' The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of Gross Domestic Product and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labour force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the United States, the source of the majority of tourist visitors. == Demographics == ''Main article: Demographics of the Bahamas'' Most of the Bahamian population is black (85%); about 12% is white. The official language is English language, spoken by virtually all inhabitants, though many speak a "patois" form of it. A small number of immigrants also speak Creole language. A heavily religious country, there are more places of worship per person in the Bahamas than any other nation in the world. Christianity is the main religion on the islands, with Baptism forming the largest denomination (about one third), followed by the Anglican Church and Roman Catholic churches. A few people, especially in the southern and eastern islands, practice ''obeah'', a spiritism religion similar to voodoo. While well-known throughout the Bahamas, obeah is shunned by many people. Voodoo is practiced, but almost exclusively by immigrants from Haiti. ==Culture== ''Main article: Culture of the Bahamas'' Bahamanian culture is a hybrid of African, European and indigenous forms. Perhaps its most famous export is a rhythmic form of music called junkanoo. See also: Music of the Bahamas ==Climate== The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical, and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter. 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 in 1992 Atlantic hurricane season, and Hurricane Floyd hit most of the islands in 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Frances of 2004 Atlantic hurricane season was expected to be the worst ever for the islands. Also in 2004, the northern Bahamas were hit by a less potent Hurricane Jeanne. == Miscellaneous topics == * Communications in the Bahamas * Transportation in the Bahamas * Military of the Bahamas * Foreign relations of the Bahamas == External links == * [http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/ Bahamas Government Official Website] * [http://www.bahamas.com/ Bahamas Ministry of Tourism] * [http://www.constitution.org/cons/bahamas.htm The Bahamas Constitution] *[http://www.strausbach.de/bahamas_photo.php Photo-Gallery] (mit Diashow) (in German) *[http://www.lodgephoto.com/galleries/bahamas-abacos/ Photographs of the Bahamas]: Abaco islands, including Junkanoo festival Bahamas Caribbean countries Monarchies North Atlantic Islands Members of the Commonwealth of Nations Island nations CARICOM member states bn:বাহামা ks:बहामास lv:Bahamas ms:Bahamas zh-min-nan:Bahamas na:Bahamas nds:Bahamas

Bahamas

== What's with the edit war? == What's with the edit war around the Commonwealth links. The Bahamas is part of the Commonwealth, right? -- User:Mjlodge 03:44, 4 May 2005 (UTC) == Names == This article and some that it links to need to be updated to incorporate the correct forms of the country's names. 'The Commonwealth of The Bahamas' and 'The Bahamas / Bahamas, The', not 'the Bahamas' or 'Bahamas'. That's not the way English is typically written. Can you provide a link showing that the official name uses the capitalization you recommend? -- User:Cyan 16:31, 5 Dec 2003 (UTC) http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb/home.nsf and the Queen's title explicity calls it the 'Commonwealth of The Bahamas' -- User:Chrism 16:32, 8 Dec 2003 (UTC) (The person above wasn't me btw) == Infobox == Why isn't template:bahamas infobox used?--User:Jerryseinfeld 20:42, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC) Is there an added value of using template:bahamas infobox? Just asking. User:Alister 03:03, 13 Jan 2005 (UTC) Why were 84.66.195.243's edits deleted with no explanation? User:Mjlodge 03:46, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Bahamas

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