Bahamas Facts for Kids

The Bahamas is officially known as the commonwealth of the Bahamas, it is an island country.
During days before independence, the British clamped down on piracy as the Bahamas was colonized by the British in 1718.
On the 10th July 1973, they gained independence from the U.K.
The Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas as the gross In terms of domestic product per capita grossing,

The capital and largest city is Nassau.
The total area of Bahamas is 13,880 sq km with the population being 329,988 as of July.
As with every British colonized country the official language is English and the dominant religion is the Christianity.
The country’s borders are with Cuba, Haiti, the United States, Turks and Caicos islands.
The people of Bahamas are called Bahamian

The currency is the Bahamian dollar (BSD).
The natural resources are salt, aragonite, tiber and arable land.
The major exports of the country are crawfish, aragonite, crude salt and polystyrene products while the major imports are machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals.
The common industries are tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, salt, rum, aragonite, transshipment and pharmaceuticals.
The Bahamas is known for its tourism but it’s also known for its disasters; hurricane Floyd hit the country of the Bahamas and caused a lot of damages to the tourism of the country.
In 2004, another hurricane hit the country; Hurricane frances, caused widespread damages to the living and non-living.
Things hadn’t called down when another monster hurricane in the island; tearing houses apart, uprooting trees, tossing automobiles and battering homes.
The Bahamas is an import driven economy. However, substantial tourism activities and financial services provided by the country in a lot of foreign exchange helps to balance the economy.
The government type for the Bahamas is a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; this is basically a commonwealth realm.
In 1992, “Hubert Ingraham” entered the seat of prime minister of the Bahamas and served another consecutive term in the chair. During his governance, he focused on job creation and economic development of the country.
The Bahamas has a total 700 islands but only 30 are livable. New providence is one of the islands with two hundred thousand people
The Bahamas is one of the two countries to actually have “the” as part of their official name.
The infamous Bermuda triangle is right next to the Bahamas

The Bahamas have underwater cave system created by the acid rain erosion of the limestone in the island; the sea was 250 feet lower than its present level. All these lead to the formation of vertical and horizontal caves
Christopher Columbus is believed to have been to the Bahamas in October 12, 1492.
There is no tax (income or sales) for Bahamas residents. Majority of the government revenue comes from import fees.
The Bahamas international stock Exhange (BISX) is the only stock exchange in the island of Bahamas
Bahamians have few local shows and as such watch the same channels as Americans do.
The U.S dollar is equal to the Bahamian Dollar and is accepted as cash across the island. The Bahamian dollar is not freely accepted in any U.S retail counter in Bahamas.
There is no railway in the Bahamas and the larger islands have road networks that stretch to 2,693 km of highway.
Tourist coming from the United States and Canada are not required to carry their passport for a vacation that’s less than three weeks. Every year, millions of visitors come to the Bahamas to spend billions of dollars. During your visit, the average cost per day for staying is different depending on the season and/or location; you can expect to spend $30 – $400 per day during vacations
For non-citizens of the country, gambling is made legal for them.
Tourism in Bahamas is responsible for 40-45% of the country’s economy success. It is known for its excellent beaches, flora, fauna and many resort and recreational facilities.
Bahamas is home to the third largest ship registry.
The first ever prime minister of the Bahamas after it gained its independence on the 10th July 1973, was “Lynden 0”
During the 1980s, the island became an established site for the drug trade. Reportedly, almost 90% of the cocaine coming to the United State had to pass through the Bahamas.