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The Bahamas

Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Flag of The Bahamas
Coat of arms of The Bahamas
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Forward, Upward, Onward, Together"
Location of The Bahamas
Capital
and largest city
Nassau
25°4′N 77°20′W / 25.067°N 77.333°W / 25.067; -77.333
Official languages English
Recognised regional languages Bahamian Creole
Ethnic groups (2016) 90.6% Black
4.7% White
2.1% Mixed
1.9% other
Demonym Bahamian
Government Unitary parliamentary
constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Elizabeth II
Dame Marguerite Pindling
Perry Christie
Legislature Parliament
Senate
House of Assembly
Independence
• from the United Kingdom
10 July 1973
Area
• Total
13,878 km2 (5,358 sq mi) (160th)
• Water (%)
28%
Population
• 2016 estimate
392,718 (177th)
• 2010 census
351,461
• Density
25.21/km2 (65.3/sq mi) (181st)
GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate
• Total
$9.066 billion
• Per capita
$24,617
GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate
• Total
$9.047 billion
• Per capita
$24,567
Gini (2001) 57
high
HDI (2014) Increase 0.790
high · 55th
Currency Bahamian dollar (BSD)
(US dollars widely accepted)
Time zone EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)
EDT (UTC−4)
Drives on the left
Calling code +1 242
ISO 3166 code BS
Internet TLD .bs
  1. ^ Also referred to as Bahamian dialect or Bahamianese

Coordinates: 24°15′N 76°00′W / 24.250°N 76.000°W / 24.250; -76.000

The Bahamas (Listeni/bəˈhɑːməz/), known officially as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is an archipelagic state within the Lucayan Archipelago. It consists of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean and is located north of 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. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The designation of "The Bahamas" can refer either to the country or to the larger island chain that it shares with the Turks and Caicos Islands. As stated in the mandate/manifesto of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Bahamas territory encompasses 470,000 km2 (180,000 sq mi) of ocean space.


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