Of the Bahamas

of these articles is concerned with the island state; see also: The Bahamas (magazine)

The Commonwealth OF The the Bahamas
Commonwealth of the Bahamas

(detail) (detail)
Wahlspruch: Forward, Upward, Onward, Together (English for „forward, upward, far one, common “)
office language	English
Capital	Nassau
system of government	parliamentary monarchy
head of state	queen Elizabeth II.
Generalgouverneurin	Arthur Dion Hanna
head of the government	Premierminister Perry Christie
surface	13,940 km ²
number of inhabitants	303,611 (conditions: Censuses 2000)
Population density	of 21.8 inhabitants per km ²
gros domestic product/inhabitant	16,866 US-$ (2004)
independence	to 10. July 1973 of Great Britain
currency	Bahama dollar (BSD)
time belt	EST = UTC -5 (November March) EDT = UTC -4 (April October)
national anthem	March on, Bahamaland
Kfz characteristic	BS
Internet TLD	.bs
preselection	+1242

the Bahamas (English. The the Bahamas) are an island state in the North Atlantic and are partthe westIndian islands. They lie southeast the USA as well as northeast from Cuba and among Central America are ranked. By more than 700 Bahamainseln only 30 is inhabited.
The Inselgruppe received, it called its names by the Spanish conquererswaters around the islands Baja Mar (splinter for „flat sea “) from which the late Bahamas became.

geography

the Bahamas sit down out over 700 islands, by which however only 30 is inhabited, and more than 2,400 corral reefs, to so mentionedCays, together. However these numbers vary dependent on it whether two islands with a flat arm of the sea in between or islands a land bridge set with one easily under water were counted. In many cases two islands separate and/or. Cays only few centimeterdeep arm of the sea from each other. The Bahamas of the southeast coast of the USA extend along the northeast coast of Cuba up to the northwest coast of the Turks and Caicosinseln with a north south expansion of approximately 650 km and west east width of up to 750 km. Partitionedbecome the islands into the two at the strongest inhabited new Providence as well as Grand Bahama and into the Out in such a way specified Iceland and/or. Family Iceland. The highest point of the Bahamas is the Mount Alvernia with 63 m on Cat Iceland andthe surface-largest island is Andros at 5.957 km ².

Wells

26 1,527 [work on ] forwards, since it is cooled down by the air systems of the North American continent. In the summer the average temperature lies with approx. 28°C, in the winter leaves the warm gulf streamthe temperature under 20°C sink rarely. In the annual average the temperature lies with 26°C.

most important cities

the two most important cities are the capital Nassau and Freeport. In both together live more than three-quarter the population of the Bahamas.Nassau is with its more than 200,000 inhabitants the city of the island state largest with distance.

see also: List of the cities on of the Bahamas

the population

the total population of the Bahamas was after the last census in the year 2000 about 303.611 humans. The populationis relatively young, then approximately 28% are old and only 6% the Bahamaer 65 years or older under 15 years. In the year 2004 that was to population growth about 0,7%, prognoses goes oneself of it out of this value intoabout 30 years on 0% will have lowered. The average life expectancy is at 62 years for men and at 69 years for women.

AIDS developed on the Bahamas to an important topic. Thus lived 2003 about 3% of the population with the rear virus. Thus they are on place 35 world-wide proportionally of the countries most strongly concerned.

Afroamerikaner form the largest portion of the population of island with 85%. The remaining 15% divide into 12% more EuropeanOrigin, as well as 3% of asiatic and Latin American origin up.

Apart from the office language English is spoken still Kreol, however mainly of the numerous immigrants from Haiti.

The most important faith directions are the Baptisten with 32%, the Anglikaner with 20% andthe Roman-catholic church with 19% portion of the population. The relatively small religious community of the witnesses Jehovas is represented with 0,5%.

history

major item: To history of the Bahamas

the frühsten traces of a settling go into 4. Century back,durably some over 700 the islands however only in 9 was settled. and 10. Century by the Lucayan, a trunk ranking among the people of the Arawak.

After Christoph Kolumbus to 12. October 1492 the Bahamainseln discovered, became those about 40.000Island inhabitant until 1520 after Hispaniola enslaves, where they died in the mines by illness and Auszehrung. By the Spaniards the islands received also to their current names. They became Baja Mar (splinter flat sea) mentioned, from which developed the Bahamas. In the middle of17. Century established English settlers the first colonies, after the king Karl I. from England had stressed the islands 1629. Freibeuter, like the famous Blackbeard, use the islands end 17. and at the beginning 18. Centurywhen Unterschlupf, since they had a small meaning for colonial powers, due to their scarcity of raw materials and the unsuitable soils, only.

In the year 1717 the Bahamas were appointed the British crowning colony and Woodes Rogers the first crowning governor of the islands. Itthe Piratenproblem, which had developed on the Inselgruppe, solved and gave them 1729 its own parliament, the House OF assembly. In the course of the American war of independence on the Bahamas, particularly the Abacos fled large number of British Loyalisten.During the American one war of independence (1775 - 1783), the American one civil war (1861 - 1865) and the Prohibition in the USA (1919 - 1932) the islands, due to their favorable proximity to the USA, were starting pointof pronounced trade with smuggled goods.Great Britain granted of the Bahamas to 1964 the internal autonomy, which led to the fact that her 1973, when one of the last British colonies, into which became to dismiss independence.

Since center 20. Century applies to the CommonwealthOF nation counting island state as a tourist goal and tax haven. On the Bahamas today about 300,000 humans live, about which more than 70% in the capital Nassau live. There the country had no considerable raw materials is strong the economy on the tourismand the bank trade dependent. Even if most tourist information lets the Bahamas appear as a Paradies, then Perry Christie are high unemployment , the drug trade and the corruption in political circles serious problems, those for the government among prime ministersit to solve applies.

politics

the Bahamas are since 1973 a sovereign state and member in the Commonwealth OF nation. The head of state is by the membership in the Commonwealth OF nation the queen of the united Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern Ireland, since 1952 queen Elizabeth II.. It is represented on the Bahamas by the governor general personally appointed by it, this is since that 1. January 2002 lady Ivy Dumont. The head of the government is a prime minister, ofone places to the government party. Since 2002 this Perry Christie of the progressive party (PLP ) is liberal. The government party is determined every five years by the parliamentary elections. The parliament consists after the British model of two chambers, the senate with 16Members and the House OF assembly with 40 members. The 16 members of the senate are appointed by the governor general, nine in arrangement with the prime minister, four in arrangement with the leader of the opposition and three by the governor general. The membersthe House OF assembly are selected every five years after the Mehrheitswahlrecht by the people.

See also: List of the governor generals of the Bahamas, list of the prime ministers of the Bahamas

economics

the agricultural range on the Bahamas is underdeveloped, there itno suitable irrigation possibilities gives, which far apart is difficult transport between the numerous and lying islands and also no suitable soils is present. Mainly for the internal requirement one produces, which is however not covered. In few more modern farms become forwardsall cucumbers, tomatoes, bulbs, Zitrusfrüchte and pineapple for the export cultivated.

Kiefern, hard - and color woods on Andros, Great Abaco and Grand Bahama come as building timber into the trade or become for shipbuilding and the US-American paper industry struck.

Also the fishery, which possesses favorable conditions throughout, is used for the internal requirement.

The industry consists mainly of small firms, in addition, shipbuilding, production of sea salt as well as the production of consumer goods are expanded. 1954 becameon Grand Bahama tariff and taxfree zone furnished, which should lead to the settlement of foreign enterprises. Since 1968 the Bahama Monetary Authority is responsible for the expenditure of notes. By the favorable tax legislation of the Bahamas reached the status of an internationalFinancial center with seat of many banks, Investment and trust companies.

tourism

main branch of trade of the Bahamas is the tourism, in which about 60% of the employed persons population are busy. The infrastructure for air and maritime traffic is well developed, however givesit because of the topographic conditions no railway; useful land transport ways are on new Providence, Grand Bahama and unite other islands.

between 1992 and 2000 was appropriate for public expenditures for

health , education and defense the portion of the public expenditures for

• the health service with 15%
• the training system with 19%
• the military with 5%

districts

major items: Districts of the Bahamas

since 1999 are those the Bahamas, by the local Government act of 1996, in 31 municipal administration districts and new Providence, which is administered by the national government, divided.

culture

of holidays

Web on the left of

• Bahamas information from the German tourist Office of the Bahamas
• the fee consulate of the Bahamas in Germany
• government of the Bahamas
• the tourism Ministry of the Bahamas
• Piratengeschichte of the Bahamas
• of the information about of the Bahamas
• the photo gallery (with Diashow)
• report on a journey
• the Bahamas travel information

states in Central America

Antiguaand Barbuda | The Bahamas | Barbados | Belize | Costa Rica | Dominica | Dominican republic | El Salvador | Grenada | Guatemala | Haiti | Honduras | Jamaica | Cuba | Nicaragua | Panama | Pc. Cement and Nevis | Pc. Lucia | Pc. Vincent and the Grenadinen | Trinidad and Tobago
other areas: American young remote islands | Anguilla | Aruba | British young remote islands | Guadeloupe | Dock one islands | Martinique | Netherlands Antilleses | Puerto Rico | Turks and Caicosinseln

Member states of the organization of American States of (OAS)

Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina | The Bahamas | Barbados | Belize | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Costa Rica | Dominica | Dominican republic | Ecuador | El Salvador | Grenada | Guatemala | Guyana | Haiti | Honduras | Jamaica | Canada | Colombia | (Cuba) | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Paraguay | Peru | Pc. Cement and Nevis | Pc. Lucia | Pc. Vincent and the Grenadinen | Suriname | Trinidad and Tobago | Uruguay | Venezuela | United States

member states of the Commonwealth OF nation

Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | The Bahamas | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belize | Botswana | Brunei | Dominica | Fiji | The Gambia | Ghana | Grenada | Guyana | India | Jamaica | Cameroon | Canada | Kenya | Kiribati | Lesotho | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives | Malta | Mauritius | Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru | New Zealand | Nigeria | Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Salomonen | Zambia | Samoa | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Singapore | Sri Lanka | Pc. Cement and Nevis | Pc. Lucia | Pc. Vincent and the Grenadinen | South Africa | Swaziland | Tanzania | Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu | Uganda | Vanuatu | United kingdom | Cyprus

coordinates: 23° 55 ′ N, 77° 40 ′ W