Last updated on March 17th, 2020
The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is an island country. The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy. It has a total area of 13,880 square km. Nassau is its capital and largest city. English is its official language. Its official currency is Bahamian dollar (BSD). In terms of gross domestic product per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas.
Interesting facts about the Bahamas island, food, underwater caves and more.
1. The most popular seafood on the island is Conch.
2. Only 30 of the total 700 islands in the Bahamas are inhabited. New Providence is a populated island in the Bahamas with a population over two hundred thousand.
3. While the country drives on the left, you can surprisingly find some cars with steering on the left side while some with steering on the right side.
4. The Bahamas is one of the two countries whose official name begins with the word “the”. Wondering which is the other? It is “the Gambia”.
5. The Bahamas is right on the edge of the infamous Bermuda Triangle.
6. The Bahamas have a magnificent underwater cave system. The sea was 250 feet low than its present level during the glacial period. Acid rain eroded the limestone in the island and lead to the formation of vertical and horizontal caves.
7. On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus is believed to have landed on the island.
8. Slave trade was the main economic enterprise on the island after the departure of the first royal governor of the island – Captain Woodes Rogers. Slavery ended in the island nation in 1838.
9. ‘Lynden O’ became the country’s first prime minister after it gained independence on 10th July 1973.
10. During the 1980s, the island became an established site for the drug trade. Reportedly, almost 90% of the cocaine entered the United States passing through the Bahamas.
11. ‘Hubert Ingraham’ became the prime minister of the Bahamas in 1992 and served another consecutive term in the chair. During his governance, he emphasized on job creation and economic development of the country.
12. The Bahamas signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on 4 February 2005.
13. There is no railway on the island and the road network on larger islands stretches to 2,693 km of highways.
Flag of the Bahamas
Facts about hurricanes, economy, tourism and more…
14. Extensive damage was caused to the island by hurricane Floyd and the nation saw a dip in tourism.
15. The year 2004 – and the Bahamas is hit by another furious hurricane: Hurricane Frances, causing widespread damage to living and non-living.
16. Things have not settled yet and they saw another monster hurricane in the island; tearing houses apart, uprooting trees, tossing automobiles and battering homes. However, the island is ready to shine again and make a comeback as strong as needed to forget the pain and the devastation caused by the natural disaster.
17. The Bahamas is an import-oriented economy. However, substantial tourism activities and financial services provided by the country bring in a lot of foreign exchange to balance the economy. Bahamas economy is said to be developing and stable by CIA.
18. The Bahamas has the world’s third largest registry of ships.
19. There is only one stock exchange in the Bahamas – The Bahamas International Stock Exchange (BISX).
20. There is no income or sales tax for Bahamas residents. Majority of the government revenue comes from tariffs and import fees.
21. The Bahamas government provides maternity grant for each live birth, and a 13-week maternity benefit.
22. Tourism makes about 40-45% of the nation’s economy. It has excellent beaches, flora, fauna and many recreational and resort facilities.
23. Gambling is made legal for non-Bahamians visiting the Bahamas.
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