Caribbean, southeast of Florida.

GMT - 5.

13,939 sq km (5382 sq miles).

303,000 (official estimate 2000).

21.7 per sq km.

Nassau. Population: 172,000 (1997).

The Bahamas consist of 700 low-lying islands, mostly islets (cays or keys) and rocks. The whole archipelago extends 970km (500 miles) southeastward from the coast of Florida, surrounded by clear, colourful waters. The soil is thin, but on the more developed islands, cultivation has produced exotic flowers. On other islands are large areas of pine forest, rocky and barren land, swamp and unspoilt beaches. The Bahamas are divided into two oceanic features, the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank.

The bicameral parliament – composed of a 16-member Senate, whose membership is appointed, and a 40-strong House of Assembly directly elected for a five-year term – has legislative powers. The British monarch has formal executive powers, vested in a Governor General, although in practice the Governor General almost invariably acts upon the advice of a Cabinet of Ministers appointed from the House of Assembly.

Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence in 1973. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor-General Dame Ivy Dumont since 2001. Head of Government: Prime Minister Perry Christie since 2002. Recent history: Former premier, Pindling, who dominated much of contemporary affairs in The Bahamas, retired from politics after his 1992 defeat and died in August 2000. Perry Christie is now Premier and a former colleague of Pindling. After Hurricane Frances caused extensive widespread damage in The Bahamas in late 2004, with Hurricane Jeanne following only weeks later, Christie is likely to set about devising plans to better detect such hurricanes, and better lessen their impact.
The bicameral Parliament – composed of a 16-member Senate, whose membership is appointed, and a 40-strong House of Assembly directly elected for a five-year term – has legislative powers. The British Monarch has formal executive powers, vested in a Governor General, although in practice the Governor General almost invariably acts upon the advice of a Cabinet of Ministers appointed from the House of Assembly.

The official and national language is English.

The three main Christian denominations are Baptist, Anglican and Roman Catholic.

The pace of life is generally leisurely. Informal wear is acceptable in the resorts with some degree of dressing up in the evenings, particularly for dining, dancing and casinos in Nassau or Freeport. Further from the main towns, dress is more casual, although there is still a tendency to dress up at night. Small outposts like Green Turtle Cay, for example, will not require more than a shirt and long trousers. It is not acceptable to wear beachwear in towns.

110 volts AC, 60Hz. An adaptor is required for 220V appliances.