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The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is an island country of the Lucayan Archipelago consisting of more than 700 islands, cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean; northern Cuba and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic); northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands; southeast of the US state of Florida and east of the Florida Keys. Its capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The “Bahamas” designation may refer to the country or the largest island chain it shares with the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Originally inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawak-speaking Taino people, the Bahamas was where Columbus first landed in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonized the Bahamas, they sent the native Lucayans to the slavery in Hispaniola. . Most of the islands were deserted from 1513 until 1648, when English settlers from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.
The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy. After the American War of Independence, the Crown resettled thousands of American Loyalists to the Bahamas; They brought their slaves with them and established plantations on land grants. Blacks made up the majority of the population of this period. The Bahamas became a refuge for freed African slaves: the Royal Navy resettled Africans freed from illegal slave ships here; American slaves and Seminoles escaped here from Florida; and the government freed American slaves transported on US domestic ships who had arrived in the Bahamas due to weather. Slavery in the Bahamas was abolished in 1834. Today, descendants of slaves and free Africans make up almost 90% of the population; Issues related to the years of slavery are part of society.
The Bahamas became an independent Commonwealth kingdom in 1973, retaining Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch. In terms of gross domestic product per capita, the Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Americas (after the United States and Canada). Its economy is based on tourism and finance.
The country is located between latitudes 20° and 28°N and longitudes 72° and 80°W.
In 1864, the governor of the Bahamas reported that there were 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 rocks in the colony.
The closest island to the United States is Bimini, also known as the gateway to the Bahamas. Abaco Island is east of Grand Bahama. The southeasternmost island is Inagua. The largest island is Andros Island. Other inhabited islands include Eleuthera, Cat Island, Long Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma and Mayaguana. Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, is located on the island of New Providence.
All islands are low and flat, with crests that typically rise no higher than 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft). The highest point in the country is Mount Alvernia (formerly Como Hill) on Cat Island. It has an elevation of 63 meters (207 feet).
To the southeast, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and three more extensive underwater formations called Mouchoir Bank, Silver Bank and Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation of the Bahamas.
The climate of the Bahamas is a tropical savanna climate or Aw according to the Köppen climate classification. As such, frost or frost has never been reported in the Bahamas, although every few decades low temperatures can fall into the range of 3 to 5 °C (37 to 41 °F) for a few hours when a cold outbreak occurs. severe. the continental mass of North America. Otherwise, the low latitude, warm tropical Gulf Stream, and low elevation give the Bahamas a warm, winterless climate. In most of the Bahamas there is only a difference of 8°C between the warmest month and the coldest month. As with most tropical climates, seasonal precipitation follows the sun and summer is the wettest season. The Bahamas is typically sunny and dry for long periods of time, averaging more than 3,000 hours of sunlight per year.
On the less developed outer islands (or Family Islands), crafts include basketry made from palm leaves. This material, commonly called “straw,” is braided into hats and bags that are popular items among tourists. Another use is that of so-called “voodoo dolls,” although such dolls are the result of the American imagination and are not based on historical facts.
Some Bahamians practice a form of folk magic (obeah), mainly in the Family Islands (outer islands) of the Bahamas. The practice of obeah is illegal in the Bahamas and is punishable by law.
Junkanoo is a traditional Bahamian street parade of music, dance and art that takes place in Nassau (and some other settlements) every Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Junkanoo is also used to celebrate other holidays and events such as Emancipation Day.
Regattas are important social events in many family-run island settlements. They usually include one or more days of sailing on old workboats, as well as a festival on land.
Many dishes are associated with Bahamian cuisine, which reflects Caribbean, African and European influences. Some settlements have festivals associated with the traditional farming or food of that area, such as the “Pineapple Fest” in Gregory Town, Eleuthera or the “Crab Fest” in Andros. Other important traditions include storytelling.
Bahamian culture is rich in beliefs, traditions, folklore and legends. The most well-known folklore and legends of the Bahamas include Lusca in Andros Bahamas, Pretty Molly in Exuma Bahamas, the Chickcharnies of Andro Bahamas and the lost city of Atlantis in Bimini Bahamas.
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