What are the Key Facts of The Bahamas?

Where is The Bahamas?

The Bahamas is a group of northern Caribbean islands within the Lucayan Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. This country consists of over 700 islands, islets, and cays. It is situated to the east of the Florida Keys, southeast of Florida (a state of the USA), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and north of Hispaniola and Cuba.

What is the Geography of The Bahamas?

The Bahamas islands are the surface projections of the three oceanic Bahama Banks and they are the Great Bahama Bank, the Little Bahama Bank, and Cay Sal Bank. This country is spread across a total area of 13,880 sq. km (5359 sq. mi), which includes 10,010 sq. km (3,865 sq. mi) of land area and 3,870 sq. km (1,494 sq. mi) of water area. The Bahamas does not have any land boundaries. However, it has a huge coastline of 3,542 km (2,201 mi).

Fossil coral is the foundation of the land on The Bahamas. However, a large part of the rocks present in the group of islands is oolitic limestone, which has been derived from the disintegration of seashells as well as coral reefs. The land is either rocky in nature or has mangrove swamp. Most of the surface area is covered by low scrub. In the northern islands such as Grand Bahama, Andros, New Providence, and Great Abaco, pineyards can be found. Low-growing tropical hardwood can be found in abundance on some of the southern islands of The Bahamas. The soil of the country is extremely fertile but very thin. On Andros Island, only one river and a handful of lakes can be found.

Cat Island is the highest point of the country, which is just 63 m (207 ft) above sea level. The New Providence Island’s (having the country’s capital city – Nassau) maximum elevation is just 37 m (121 ft). The lowest point of The Bahamas is the sea level at Atlantic Ocean. There is only one hill in the country. It is Mount Alvernia (on the Cat Island), which is 63 m (206 ft) above sea level. The locals call it Como Hill. The country doesn’t have any river.

The climate of The Bahamas remains mild throughout the year. This is one of the major attractions of the country, especially for tourists. While the average temperature remains around 27 °C (80.6 °F) during the summer, the average temperature remains around 21 °C (69.8 °F) during the winter. The extreme temperatures witnessed by the country have hardly breached the 16 °C (60.8 °F) or 32 °C (89.6 °F) levels.

Rainfall mainly takes place during the summer, though Bahamas gets around 44 in (1,120 mm) of average annual rainfall. Generally, a humid atmosphere prevails in the country. However, prevailing winds provide a cooling influence. The wind blows from the southeast direction in summertime and northeast direction in wintertime. June-to-November months remain vulnerable to tropical cyclones or hurricanes, which cause heavy destruction occasionally.

What is the Economy of The Bahamas?

The Bahamas is the 3rd richest country in the Americas. The Bahamas’ Department of Statistics said that in 2018, the nominal GDP was US$12.424 billion and it increased by 2.3% over the previous year. As per World Bank data, its GDP was US$12.16 billion in 2017, with a growth rate of 1.437%. This stable and developing country is heavily dependent on offshore banking as well as tourism.

As the tourism sector grew is steadily and currently witnessing a boom, there has been a spurt in investment in the construction sector (involving the construction of new resorts, hotels, and residences). Financial services contribute 15% of the GDP, making it second-most important sector of the economy.

Manufacturing and agriculture are the next major contributors of the GDP, together accounting for 10% of the GDP. The tourism sector is propelled by the increasing number of tourists from across the globe, out of which 80% are from the USA.

The government is also providing adequate support to the eCommerce sector. Other important industries that are helping the economy grow are real estate, financial & insurance services, food services, and wholesale & retail trade accommodation. Reports say 9-out-of-17 industrial groups contribute significantly to the overall growth of the GDP. In 2018, the unemployment rate in The Bahamas was hovering around 11.9% (World Bank).

What is the Transportation System of The Bahamas?

There is around 2,718 km (1,689 mi) highway in the country, out of which 1,560 km (970 mi) is paved. There are no railways in the country. The developed aquatic transport system makes navigation between the different islands of The Bahamas easier.

Boat travel is the most common form of transport in the country. Some of the most popular ports and harbors for boat transport include Marsh Harbor, Green Turtle Cay, Treasure Cay, Spanish Cay, Great Harbour Cay, Hawksnest Marina, Freeport Harbor, Lucayan Spanish Wells, Governor’s Harbor, Alice Town, Stella Maris Airport, Matthew Town, Port Lucaya, Abraham’s Bay, Cockburn Town and many more.

Advanced ports such as Prince George Wharf of Nassau harbor and Lucayan Harbor Cruise Facility in Freeport are specially equipped to handle multiple modern cruise ships, all at the same time. There are 1,440 merchant marine ships present in the country. The Bahamas has 62 airports, out of which 23 are paved. The main airports are Grand Bahama International Airport, Lynden Pindling International Airport, and Marsh Harbor International Airport. On Paradise Island, a heliport is also there.

What International Organizations is The Bahamas part of?

UN, ACP, AOSIS, UNESCO, C, Caricom, ILO, CDB, UNCTAD, CELAC, UNIDO, FAO, G-77, UNWTO, IADB, IMF, WHO, IAEA, Interpol, IBRD, ICAO, OPCW, ICRM, OAS, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, OPANAL, IMO, IMSO, Petrocaribe, IOC, WIPO, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, UPU, WCO, WMO, ICC (NGOs), ISO (correspondent), WTO (observer)

Related Link:

• Is Bahamas a Country?