📰 The Bahamas · page 3

The stratigraphy of the islands consists of the Middle Pleistocene Owl's Hole Formation, overlain by the Late Pleistocene Grotto Beach Formation, and then the Holocene Rice Bay Formation.187 However, these units are not necessarily stacked on top of each other but can be located laterally.188 The oldest formation, Owl's Hole, is capped by a terra rosa paleosol, as is the Grotto Beach, unless eroded.189 The Grotto Beach Formation is the most widespread.[99]190

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of the Bahamas, Elections in the Bahamas

The Bahamas is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with, in his capacity as King of the Bahamas, as head of state represented locally by a governor-general.[10]191 Political and legal traditions closely follow those of England and the Westminster system.[23]192 Since gaining independence, the Bahamas has faced political challenges similar to those of other postcolonial island nations.193 Although the country has remained politically stable, it continues to address issues such as economic expansion, balancing party power, and improving government institutions.[101]194 Researchers note that these trends are common across many small Caribbean island states.[101]195 The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and shares its head of state with the 14 other Commonwealth realms.[102][103]196

The prime minister is the head of government and is the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Assembly.[10][23]197 Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet, selected by the prime minister and drawn from his supporters in the House of Assembly.198 The current governor-general is Dame Cynthia A. Pratt, and the current prime minister is The Hon.199 Philip Davis, MP.[10]200

Legislative power is vested in a bicameral parliament, which consists of a 38-member House of Assembly (the lower house), with members elected from single-member districts, and a 16-member Senate, with members appointed by the governor-general, including nine on the advice of the prime minister, four on the advice of the leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, and three on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.201 As under the Westminster system, the prime minister may dissolve Parliament and call a general election at any time within a five-year term.[104]202

Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement and association.203 The Judiciary of the Bahamas is independent of the executive and the legislature.204 Jurisprudence is based on English law.[10]205

Political culture

The Bahamas has a two-party system dominated by the centre-left Progressive Liberal Party and the centre-right Free National Movement.206 A handful of other political parties have been unable to win election to parliament; these have included the Bahamas Democratic Movement, the Coalition for Democratic Reform, Bahamian Nationalist Party and the Democratic National Alliance.[105]207 There has been a growing republican movement in the Bahamas, particularly since the death of Elizabeth II, with a majority now supporting an elected head of state according to an opinion poll.[106][107]208

Administrative divisions

Main article: Local government in the Bahamas

Further information: List of islands of the Bahamas

The districts of the Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere except New Providence (which holds 70 per cent of the national population), whose affairs are handled directly by the central government.209 In 1996, the Bahamian Parliament passed the "Local Government Act" to facilitate the establishment of family island administrators, local government districts, local district councillors and local town committees for the various island communities.210 The overall goal of this act is to allow the various elected leaders to govern and oversee the affairs of their respective districts without the interference of the central government.211 In total, there are 32 districts, with elections being held every five years.212 There are 110 councillors and 281 town committee members elected to represent the various districts.[108]213

Each councillor or town committee member is responsible for the proper use of public funds for the maintenance and development of their constituency.214

The districts other than New Providence are:[109]215

Foreign relations

Further information: Foreign relations of the Bahamas

The Bahamas has strong bilateral relationships with the United States and the United Kingdom, represented by an ambassador in Washington and High Commissioner in London.216 The Bahamas also associates closely with other nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).[110]217

The embassy of the United States in Nassau donated $3.6 million to the minister for disaster preparedness, management, and reconstruction for modular shelters, medical evacuation boats, and construction materials.218 The donation was made two weeks after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Dorian.[111]219

Military

Main article: Royal Bahamas Defence Force

The Bahamian military is the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF),[112] the navy of the Bahamas which includes a land unit called Commando Squadron (Regiment) and an Air Wing (Air Force).220 Under the Defence Act, the RBDF has been mandated, in the name of the king, to defend the Bahamas, protect its territorial integrity, patrol its waters, provide assistance and relief in times of disaster, maintain order in conjunction with the law enforcement agencies of the Bahamas, and carry out any such duties as determined by the National Security Council.[113]221 The Defence Force is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)'s Regional Security Task Force.[112]222

The RBDF came into existence on 31 March 1980.223 Its duties include defending the Bahamas, stopping drug smuggling, illegal immigration and poaching, and providing assistance to mariners.224 The Defence Force has a fleet of 26 coastal and inshore patrol craft along with 2 aircraft[114] and over 1,100 personnel including 65 officers and 74 women.[115]225

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Bahamas

Further information: Agriculture in the Bahamas, Tourism in the Bahamas

In terms of GDP per capita, the Bahamas is one of the wealthiest countries in the Americas.[14]226 Its currency (the Bahamian dollar) is kept at a 1-to-1 peg with the US dollar.[14]227 The International Monetary Fund's 2023 report states that the Bahamas has improved its financial stability since the pandemic.228 The country has increased its revenue and begun lowering its fiscal deficit, helped by the return of tourism and financial reforms.[116]229 However, the report also warns that the Bahamas continues to face risks from global economic shifts, climate threats, and its dependence on imported goods.[116]230

The Bahamas relies heavily on tourism to generate most of its economic activity.231 Tourism as an industry accounts for about 70 per cent of the Bahamian GDP and provides jobs for about half of the country's workforce.232 Tourism makes up a large part of the Bahamas' economy, and the COVID-19 pandemic showed the risks of relying so heavily on it.233 A 2023 study found that the Bahamas experienced one of the biggest drops in tourism in the region, which pushed leaders to explore ways to build a stronger and more diverse economy.[117]234 The study notes that although tourism is recovering, progress has been uneven, and the country has focused heavily on rebuilding visitor confidence and promoting sustainable tourism.[118]235 The Bahamas attracted 5.8 million visitors in 2012, more than 70 per cent of whom were cruise visitors.[119]236 In 2024, the Bahamas recorded a new tourism high of about 11.22 million visitors (air and sea combined), up ≈16% from 2023.[120]237 Agriculture and manufacturing form the third largest sector of the Bahamian economy, representing 5–7% of total GDP.[14]238 An estimated 80 per cent of the Bahamian food supply is imported.239 Major crops include onions, okra, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, cucumbers, sugar cane, lemons, limes and sweet potatoes.[121]240

Access to biocapacity in the Bahamas is much higher than the world average.241 In 2016 the Bahamas had 9.2 global hectares[122] of biocapacity per person within its territory, much more than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person.[123]242 In 2016 the Bahamas used 3.7 global hectares of biocapacity per person – their ecological footprint of consumption.243 This means they use less biocapacity than the Bahamas contains.244 As a result, the Bahamas is running a biocapacity reserve.[122]245

Bahamas as a tax haven

See also: Bahamas Leaks

After tourism, the next most important economic sector is banking and offshore international financial services, accounting for some 15 per cent of GDP.[14]246 It was revealed in the Panama Papers that the Bahamas is the jurisdiction with the most offshore entities or companies in the world.[124]247

The Bahamas is considered a major international financial centre.248 According to some estimates, it is the fourth-largest tax haven globally based on assets under management.249 It is believed to hold approximately US$13.7 trillion in private household wealth and an additional US$12 trillion in corporate wealth sheltered within offshore shell companies.250 This combined figure represents roughly a quarter of the world's annual wealth creation.251 As recently as 2019 the offshore financial services sector contributed an estimated 20 per cent to the Bahamian economy.[125]252

The economy has a very competitive tax regime (classified by some as a tax haven).253 The government derives its revenue from import tariffs, VAT, licence fees, property and stamp taxes, but there is no income tax, corporate tax, capital gains tax, or wealth tax.254 Payroll taxes fund social insurance benefits and amount to 3.9 per cent paid by the employee and 5.9 per cent paid by the employer.[126]255 In 2010 overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 17.2 per cent.[127]256

Transport

Main article: Transport in the Bahamas

The Bahamas contains about 1,620 km of paved roads.[10]257 Inter-island transport is conducted primarily via ship and air.258 The country has 61 airports, the chief of which are Lynden Pindling International Airport on New Providence, Grand Bahama International Airport on Grand Bahama Island, and Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (formerly Marsh Harbour Airport) on Abaco Island.259

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Bahamas

The Bahamas had a population of at the 2018 Census, of which 25.9 per cent were 14 or under, 67.2 per cent 15 to 64 and 6.9 per cent over 65.260 It has a population growth rate of 0.925 per cent (2010), with a birth rate of 17.81/1,000 population, death rate of 9.35/1,000, and net migration rate of −2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population.[128]261 The infant mortality rate is 23.21 deaths/1,000 live births.262 Residents have a life expectancy at birth of 69.87 years: 73.49 years for females, 66.32 years for males.263 The total fertility rate is 2.0 children born/woman (2010).[127]264 The latest official estimate (as at 2022) is 400,516.265 The Bahamas is one of the highest-ranked Caribbean countries on the UN Human Development Index, showing strong results in income, education, and life expectancy.266 However, the United Nations Development Programme notes that the country still faces challenges such as economic inequality, climate risks, and limited land space.[129]267 The World Bank also states that investing in climate protection and building a more diverse economy are key to supporting long-term growth.[130]268

The most populous islands are New Providence, where Nassau, the capital and largest city, is located;[131] and Grand Bahama, home to the second-largest city of Freeport.[132]269

Racial and ethnic groups

According to the 99 percent response rate obtained from the race question on the 2010 Census questionnaire, 90.6 per cent of the population identified themselves as being Black, 4.7 per cent White and 2.1 per cent of a Mixed (African and European).[133]270 Three centuries prior, in 1722 when the first official census of the Bahamas was taken, 74 per cent of the population was native European and 26 per cent native African.[133]271

Since the colonial era of plantations, Africans or Afro-Bahamians have been the largest ethnic group in the Bahamas, whose primary ancestry was based in West Africa.272 The first Africans to arrive in the Bahamas were freed slaves from Bermuda; they arrived with the Eleutheran Adventurers looking for new lives.[134]273

The Haitian community in the Bahamas is also largely of African descent and numbers about 80,000.274 Due to an extremely high immigration of Haitians to the Bahamas, the Bahamian government started deporting illegal Haitian immigrants to their homeland in late 2014.[135]275

The white Bahamian population are mainly the descendants of the English Puritans and American Loyalists escaping the American Revolution who arrived in 1649 and 1783, respectively.[136]276 Many Southern Loyalists went to the Abaco Islands, half of whose population was of European descent as of 1985.[137]277 The term white is usually used to identify Bahamians with Anglo ancestry, as well as some light-skinned Afro-Bahamians.278 Sometimes Bahamians use the term Conchy Joe to describe people of Anglo descent.279 Generally, however, Bahamians self-identify as white or black along the lines similar to the distinction made in the US.[138]280

A small portion of the Euro-Bahamian population are Greek Bahamians, descended from Greek labourers who came to help develop the sponging industry in the 1900s.[139]281 They make up less than 2 per cent of the nation's population, but have still preserved their distinct Greek Bahamian culture.[140][141]282

Other ethnic groups in the Bahamas include Asians and people of Spanish and Portuguese origin.[142]283

Languages

The official language of the Bahamas is English.284 Many people speak an English-based creole language called Bahamian dialect (known simply as "dialect") or "Bahamianese".[143]285 Laurente Gibbs, a Bahamian writer and actor, was the first to coin the latter name in a poem and has since promoted its usage.[144][145]286 Both are used as autoglossonyms.[146]287 Haitian Creole, a French-based creole language, is spoken by Haitians and their descendants, who make up of about 25% of the total population.288 It is known simply as Creole[127] to differentiate it from Bahamian English.[147]289