The Bahamas
island sovereign state in the West Indies
Press Enter · cited answer in seconds
0 sources
The Bahamas is an island country located in North America. [1] As of 2023, the country has a population of approximately 399,000 people. The nation covers an area of about 14,000 square kilometers. Philip "Brave" Davis serves as the head of government. [2] The country operates on Eastern Standard Time, specifically UTC−05:00, with the primary time zone identifier being America/Nassau. [3]
World Factbook
CIA reference data · 4 sections
Geography
Location
chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba; note - although The Bahamas does not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically it is often designated as a Caribbean nation
Climate
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Natural resources
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
People & Society
Languages
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Religions
Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Plymouth Brethren 1.6%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1.9%, unspecified 2.6% (2010 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Independence
10 July 1973 (from the UK)
National holiday
Independence Day, 10 July (1973)
Legal system
common-law system based on the English model
Economy
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$14.544 billion (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$36,200 (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
3.4% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.4% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
8.5% (2024 est.)
Exports - partners
USA 36%, Zimbabwe 16%, Cote d'Ivoire 14%, Germany 8%, Guyana 8% (2023)
Imports - partners
USA 60%, Germany 13%, China 5%, Japan 3%, Brazil 2% (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook · public domain (US gov work, 17 USC §105) · fetched 2026-05-06
Key Facts
- Country: The Bahamas[3]
- Head of government: Philip "Brave" Davis[4]
- Continent: North America[5]
- Instance of: sovereign state[6], archipelagic state[7], administrative territorial entity[8], country[9]
- Head of state: Charles III[10]
- Capital: Nassau[11]
- Official language: English[12]
- Currency: Bahamian dollar[13]
- Shares border with: United States[14], United Kingdom[15], Turks and Caicos Islands[16]
- Top-level Internet domain: .bs[17]
- Anthem: March On, Bahamaland[18]
- Basic form of government: constitutional monarchy[19]
- Contains the administrative territorial entity: Berry Islands[20], Bimini[21], Black Point[22], Cat Island[23], Central Abaco[24], Central Andros[25], Central Eleuthera[26], Freeport[27], Crooked Island[28], East Grand Bahama[29], Exuma[30], Grand Cay[31], Harbour Island[32], Hope Town[33]
- Flag: flag of The Bahamas[34]
- Twinned administrative body: Miami-Dade County[35]
- Legislative body: Parliament of The Bahamas[36]
- Executive body: Cabinet of the Bahamas[37]
- Highest judicial authority: Supreme Court of the Bahamas[38]
- Coat of arms: coat of arms of the Bahamas[39]
- Commons category: The Bahamas[40]
- Licence plate code: BS[41]
- Located in time zone: UTC−05:00[42], America/Nassau[43]
Body
Cultural Significance
Things named for The Bahamas include Bahamians[44], a human population[45].
Why It Matters
The Bahamas has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[46] It is known by 54 alternative names across languages and contexts.[47]
Entities named for it include Bahamians[44], a human population[45].