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Bahamas The Bahamas









CARICOM Youth Ambassador(s)

Key facts

Date of Membership in CARICOM: 4 Jul 1983 - Learn more about membership in CARICOM

Also Known as:The Place Where Worlds Meet (Source: The Heraldry of the Commonwealth Caribbean)

Status of Independence:Independent 1973/07/10

Area: 13,939 sq km

Capital City: Nassau

Population: 377,000 (2013)

Currency: Bahamian dollar B$

Highest National Award: Governor General Award

Economy

GDP Growth: 0.0% p.a. 2009–13

GNI: US$8.4bn

GNI PC: US$22,312

Key dates in history

SOME KEY DATES IN HISTORY

It is believed that the original inhabitants were Arawak people. They were followed by the Caribs.
1492    Christopher Columbus made his first landing in the New World  on island Amerindians called “ Guanahani”, renames it San Salvador, now called Watling Island. `The Bahamas’ derived from `baja mar’ (low sea) based on Columbus’ observation of shallow seas surrounding islands
1629    the islands given their first constitution as part of the Carolinas (USA)
1648     First British settlers arrived
1717    Became a British Colony
1953    Progressive Liberal Party founded to represent black interests in a system still then dominated by whites.
1964    Internal self rule
1973    Independence achieved

Rt. Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis

Prime Minister

Visit Government Portal: http://www.bahamas.gov.bs

Regional Responsibility

CARICOM Lead Head of Government for Tourism (including Land, Cruise, ACP/EU Partnership Agreement provisions etc)

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Did You Know?

Robert Antoni, born in The Bahamas in 1958, was winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Book award with his novel, Divina Trace, in 1992.

The country is a coral archipelago of about 700 islands and more than 2,000 cays and rocks.