Bahamas - Tourism and Travel

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an archipelago in the Caribean Sea. It lies east of Florida and northeast of Cuba.

The Bahamas consists of about 700 islands and more than 2000 cays, which make up a total area of 5,382 square miles (13,939 square kilometers).

Only 22 of the islands are inhabited.

The climate in the Bahamas is warm. Rain falls heavily in summer.

342,000 people live in the Bahamas. More than two thirds of them live on New Providence, the largest island, where Nassau, the capital, is located.

85% of the population is of black African ancestry.

English is the official language. English and French creoles are also spoken.

32% of the people are Baptist, 20% are Anglican, 19% are Roman Catholic, 6% ar Methodist and 6% are Church of God members.

Most of the country's income comes from tourism.

Ship registration, insurance and offshore banking are other important sources of foreign income.

The Bahamas has a parliamentary system of government.

It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The official currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar, which equals 100 cents.