Bahamas
The Bahamas (pronounced /ðə bəˈhɑːməz/), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an English-speaking country consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets (rocks). It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States of America (nearest to the state of Florida). Its total land area is almost 14 000 km², with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau.
Originally inhabited by Arawakan Taino people, the Bahamas were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonised The Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans (as the Bahamian Taino settlers referred to themselves) to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 to 1650, when British colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.
The Bahamas became a crown colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. Following the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to The Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in The Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery itself was abolished in 1834 and the descendants of enslaved and liberated African form the bulk of The Bahamas's population today.
Economic activity is mostly based on tourism and financial services. A relatively high degree of economic freedom has made The Bahamas one of the most prosperous countries in the Caribbean region. The financial sector’s domestic and offshore activities contribute around 15 percent of GDP. The economy has a very competitive tax regime. The government derives its revenue from import tariffs, license fees, property and stamp taxes, but there is no income tax, corporate tax, capital gains tax, value-added tax (VAT), or wealth tax. Payroll taxes fund social insurance benefits. In the most recent year, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 21.8 per cent.
The Bahamas has the 47th freest economy in the world according to the Heritage Foundation 2010 Index of Economic Freedom. The Bahamas is ranked 7th out of 29 countries in the South and Central America/Caribbean region, and its overall score is higher than the regional and world averages. Total government spending, including consumption and transfer payments, is relatively low. In the most recent year, government spending equaled 23.4 percent of GDP. Authorities are committed to improving the transparency of budget planning. Annual FDI into The Bahamas is $700 million a year. The Bahamian legal system is based on British common law.
History
Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 7th century AD. These people came to be known as the Lucayans. There were an estimated 30,000+ Lucayans at the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492. Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the New World was on an island named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans as Guanahani), which is generally accepted to be present-day San Salvador Island, (also known as Watling's Island) in the southeastern Bahamas.
An alternative theory holds that Columbus landed to the southeast on Samana Cay, according to calculations made in 1986 by National Geographic writer and editor Joseph Judge based on Columbus's log. Evidence in support of this remains inconclusive. On the landfall island, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.
The Spaniards who followed Columbus depopulated the islands, carrying most of the indigenous people off into slavery. The Lucayans throughout The Bahamas were wiped out by exposure to diseases to which they had no immunity. The smallpox that ravaged the Taino indians after Columbus's arrival wiped out half of the population in what is now The Bahamas.
It is generally assumed that the islands were uninhabited by Europeans until the mid-17th century. However, recent research suggests that there may have been attempts to settle the islands by groups from Spain, France, and Britain, as well as by other Amerindians. In 1648, the Eleutherian Adventurers migrated from Bermuda. These English Puritans established the first permanent European settlement on an island which they named Eleuthera—the name derives from the Greek word for freedom. They later settled New Providence, naming it Sayle's Island after one of their leaders. To survive, the settlers resorted to salvaged goods from wrecks.
In 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas, who rented the islands from the king with rights of trading, tax, appointing governors, and administering the country.
18th century
During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard. To restore orderly government, The Bahamas were made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers, who, after a difficult struggle, succeeded in suppressing piracy. In 1720 he led local militia to drive off a Spanish attack.
During the American War of Independence, the islands were a target for American naval forces under the command of Commodore Ezekial Hopkins. The capital of Nassau on the island of New Providence was occupied by US Marines for a fortnight.
In 1782, following the British defeat at Yorktown, a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau, which surrendered without a fight. It was recaptured by American Loyalists the following year and the Peace of Paris which ended the global conflict recognised British sovereignty.
After American independence, some 7,300 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas from New York, Florida and the Carolinas. These Americans established plantations on several islands and became a political force in the capital. The small population became mostly African from this point on.
The British abolished the slave trade in 1807, which led to the forced settlement on Bahamian islands of thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy. Slavery itself was finally abolished in the British Empire on August 1, 1834.
20th century
Modern political development began after the Second World War. The first political parties were formed in the 1950s and the British made the islands internally self-governing in 1964, with Roland Symonette of the United Bahamian Party as the first premier.
In 1967, Lynden Pindling of the Progressive Liberal Party became the first black premier of the colony, and in 1968 the title was changed to prime minister. In 1973, The Bahamas became fully independent, but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Sir Milo Butler was appointed the first black governor-general (the representative of Queen Elizabeth II) shortly after independence.
Based on the twin pillars of tourism and offshore finance, the Bahamian economy has prospered since the 1950s. However, there remain significant challenges in areas such as education, health care, international narcotics trafficking and illegal immigration from Haiti.
The origin of the name "Bahamas" is unclear. It may derive from the Spanish baja mar, meaning "shallow seas";[citation needed] or the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma "large upper middle land".
Geography
The Bahamas are a group of about 700 atolls and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited. The largest of the islands is Andros Island, located 120 miles (190 km) southeast of Florida. The Bimini islands are to its northwest. To the North is the island of Grand Bahama, home to the second largest city in the country, Freeport. The island of Great Abaco is to its east. In the far south is the island of Great Inagua, the second largest island in the country. Other notable islands include Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana. Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New Providence. The islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream.
The islands are surface projections of the three oceanic Bahama Banks, the Little Bahama Bank, the Great Bahama Bank and the westernmost Cay Sal Bank. The highest point is only seventy meters above sea level on Long Island; the island of New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, reaches a maximum elevation of only thirty-seven meters. The land on the Bahamas has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is oolitic limestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells. The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp. Low scrub covers much of the surface area. Pineyards are found on four of the northern islands: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, and Andros. On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes. Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin. Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Andros Island, are found in the Bahamas.
Other infos
Oficial Name:
The commonwealth of the Bahamas
Independence:
July 10, 1973
Area:
13.939 km2
Inhabitants:
319.000
Languages:
Bahamas Creole English [bah] 225,000 in Bahamas (1987). Also spoken in USA. Alternate names: Bahamian Creole English, Bahamian Dialect. Dialects: Intelligibility with Sea Islands Creole good. Very close to Sea Islands Creole and Afro-Seminole of USA (Ian Hancock). The major differences with Sea Islands are in phonology, a few words, regional expressions, and a few grammatical differences (verbal markers). There is a spectrum of varieties from Standard USA English usage to the creole (Todd and Hancock 1986). Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Northern
English [eng] 49,331 in Bahamas (2004). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Extinct languages
Taino [tnq] Extinct. Members of the ethnic group are also now in the USA, in Florida and New Jersey, in Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Cuba. Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Northern Maipuran, Caribbean
Capital city:
Nassau
Meaning of the country name:
From Spanish Baja Mar – "Low (Shallow) Sea". Spanish conquistadors thus named the islands after the waters around them.
Description flag:
The black equilateral triangle on the left represents the unity and determination of the people of The Bahamas, who are primarily of African descent. The triangle is oriented toward three equal-width stripes symbolizing areas of natural resource. Two aquamarine stripes at the top and bottom of the flag represent the sea and one gold stripe in the middle represents the land. The flag was adopted on July 10, 1973.
Coat of arms:
The coat of arms of the Bahamas contains a shield with the national symbols as its focal point, the shield is supported by a marlin and flamingo.
On top the shield is a conch shell, that represents the varied marine life of the island chain. This rests upon a helmet. Below this is the actual shield, the main symbol of which is a ship, reported to represent the Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus. It is sailing beneath a sun. The animals supporting the shield are the national animals, and the national motto is found at the bottom. The flamingo is located upon land, and the marlin upon sea, indicating the geography of the islands.
The vibrant colors of the coat of arms are also intended to point to a bright future for the islands. They are also reputed to have been maintained due to their attractiveness to tourists.
Motto:
"Forward Upward Onward Together"
National Anthem: March on, Bahamaland
Lift up your head
to the rising sun,
Bahamaland;
March on to glory
your bright banners
waving high.
See how the world
marks the manner
of your bearing!
Pledge to excel
through love and unity.
Pressing onward,
march together
to a common loftier goal;
Steady sunward,
tho' the weather
hide the wide and treachrous shoal.
Lift up your head
to the rising sun, Bahamaland,
'Til the road you've trod
lead unto your God,
March On, Bahamaland.
Internet Page:
Bahamas in diferent languages
eng | ast | bre | fao | fra | frp | fur | glg | hat | ina | lin | nor | nrm | oci | que | roh | rup | spa | srd | swe | tet | wln | wol: Bahamas
bam | est | fin | ita | jav | lld | mlg | ron | scn | vor | zza: Bahama
ces | dsb | hsb | pol | slk | szl: Bahamy
deu | ltz | nds: Bahamas / Bahamas
cat | jnf: Bahames
fry | nld: Bahama’s
hrv | slv: Bahami
kin | run: Bahmasi
mol | slo: Bahama / Бахама
afr: Bahamas; Bahama-eilande
arg: Bahamas; Baamas
aze: Bahama adaları / Баһама адалары
bos: Bahami / Бахами
cor: Ynysow Bahama
crh: Bahamalar / Бахамалар
cym: Y Bahamas
dan: Bahama-øerne; Bahamas
epo: Bahamoj
eus: Bahamak
gla: Na Bahàmas
gle: Na Bahámaí / Na Bahámaí
glv: Ny Bahamaghyn
hun: Bahamák; Bahama-szigetek
ibo: Agwe-etiti Bahama
ind: Bahama / باهاما
isl: Bahamaeyjar
kaa: Bagama atawları / Багама атаўлары
kmr: Adaêd Bahamê / Адаед Баһаме / ئادایێد باهامێ; Adaêd Bagamê / Адаед Багаме / ئادایێد باگامێ; Cizîrêd Bahamê / Щьзиред Баһаме / جزیرێد باهامێ; Cizîrêd Bagamê / Щьзиред Багаме / جزیرێد باگامێ
kur: Bahama / باهاما
lat: Insulae Bahamenses
lav: Bahamu salas; Bahamas
lit: Bahamų solos; Bahamai
mlt: Baħamas
msa: Bahamas / باهاماس
por: Baamas; Bahamas
rmy: Bahamas / बाहामास
sme: Bahamasullot
smg: Bahamas; Bahamā
smo: Pahama
sqi: Bahamët
swa: Visiwa vya Bahama
tuk: Bagam adalary / Багам адалары
tur: Bahama; Bahamalar; Bahama Adaları
uzb: Bagama orollari / Багама ороллари
vie: Ba-ha-ma
vol: Bahamuäns
abq: Багамска дзыгӀвбжяква (Bagamska dzəʿʷbžjakʷa)
alt: Багамский ортолыктар (Bagamskij ortolyktar)
bak: Багама утрауҙары / Bagama utrauźarı
bel: Багамскія астравы / Bahamskija astravy; Багамскія выспы / Bahamskija vyspy
bul: Бахамски острови (Baĥamski ostrovi)
che: Багамаш (Bagamaš)
chm: Багамский остров-влак (Bagamskij ostrov-vlak); Багамы (Bagamy)
chv: Багама утравӗсем (Bagama utravĕsem)
kaz: Багама аралдары / Bagama araldarı / باگاما ارالدارى
kbd: Багамскэ островхэр (Bagamskă ostrovĥăr)
kir: Багама аралдары (Bagama araldary)
kjh: Багамскай олтырыхтар (Bagamskaj oltyryĥtar)
kom: Багамскӧй островъяс (Bagamsköj ostrov"jas)
krc: Багама айрымканлары (Bagama ajrymkanlary)
kum: Багама атавлары (Bagama atavlary)
mkd: Бахами (Baĥami)
mon: Багамын арлууд (Bagamyn arluud)
oss: Багамӕтӕ (Bagamätä)
rus: Багамские острова (Bagamskije ostrova); Багамы (Bagamy)
srp: Бахами / Bahami
tat: Багама утраулары / Bahama utrawları
tgk: Ҷазираҳои Баҳама / جزیرههای بهمه / Çazirahoi Bahama; Ҷазираҳои Багама / جزیرههای بگمه / Çazirahoi Bagama
tyv: Багам ортулуктары (Bagam ortuluktary)
ukr: Багамські острови (Bahams'ki ostrovy); Багами (Bahamy)
ara: الباهاما (al-Bāhāmā); جزر الباهاما (Ǧuzuru l-Bāhāmā); جزائر الباهاما (Ǧazāʾiru l-Bāhāmā); البهاما (al-Bahāmā); جزر البهاما (Ǧuzuru l-Bahāmā); جزائر البهاما (Ǧazāʾiru l-Bahāmā); البهاماس (al-Bahāmās); جزر البهاماس (Ǧuzuru l-Bahāmās); جزائر البهاماس (Ǧazāʾiru l-Bahāmās)
ckb: بەهاما / Behama
fas: باهاما (Bāhāmā)
prs: بهاما (Bahāmā)
pus: بهاما (Bahāmā)
uig: باھاما / Bahama / Баһама
urd: بہاماس (Bahāmās); بہاماز (Bahāmāz)
div: ބަހާމާސް (Bahāmās); ބަހާމަސް (Bahāmas)
heb: בהימה (Bahêmah); באהימה (Bâhêmah); איי-בהימה (Iye-Bahêmah); איי-באהימה (Iye-Bâhêmah); בהמה (Bahamah); בהאמה (Bahâmah); באהאמה (Bâhâmah); איי-בהמה (Iye-Bahamah); איי-בהאמה (Iye-Bahâmah); איי-באהאמה (Iye-Bâhâmah)
lad: באהאמאס / Bahamas
yid: באַהאַמאַס (Bahamas)
amh: ባህማስ (Bahəmas)
ell-dhi: Μπαχάμες (Mpaĥámes)
ell-kat: Μπαχάμαι (Mpaĥámai); Βαχάμαι (Vaĥámai)
hye: Բահամյան կղզիներ (Bahamyan kġziner); Բահամներ (Bahamner)
kat: ბაჰამის კუნძულები (Bahamis kundzulebi)
hin: बहामा (Bahāmā)
ben: বাহামা (Bāhāmā)
pan: ਬਾਹਾਮਾਸ (Bāhāmās)
kan: ಬಹಾಮಾಸ್ (Bahāmās)
mal: ബഹാമാസ് (Bahāmās)
tam: பஹாமாஸ் (Pahāmās); பஹமாஸ் (Pahamās)
tel: బహామాస్ (Bahāmās)
zho: 巴哈馬/巴哈马 (Bāhāmǎ)
jpn: バハマ (Bahama)
kor: 바하마 (Bahama)
mya: ဘဟားမား (Bʰáhàmà)
tha: บาฮามาส (Bāhāmāt)
khm: បាហាម៉ាស (Bāhāmās)
Bahamas
The Bahamas (pronounced /ðə bəˈhɑːməz/), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an English-speaking country consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets (rocks). It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States of America (nearest to the state of Florida). Its total land area is almost 14 000 km², with an estimated population of 330,000. Its capital is Nassau.
Originally inhabited by Arawakan Taino people, the Bahamas were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonised The Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans (as the Bahamian Taino settlers referred to themselves) to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 to 1650, when British colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.
The Bahamas became a crown colony in 1718 when the British clamped down on piracy. Following the American War of Independence, thousands of pro-British loyalists and enslaved Africans moved to The Bahamas and set up a plantation economy. The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807 and many Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were settled in The Bahamas during the 19th century. Slavery itself was abolished in 1834 and the descendants of enslaved and liberated African form the bulk of The Bahamas's population today.
Economic activity is mostly based on tourism and financial services. A relatively high degree of economic freedom has made The Bahamas one of the most prosperous countries in the Caribbean region. The financial sector’s domestic and offshore activities contribute around 15 percent of GDP. The economy has a very competitive tax regime. The government derives its revenue from import tariffs, license fees, property and stamp taxes, but there is no income tax, corporate tax, capital gains tax, value-added tax (VAT), or wealth tax. Payroll taxes fund social insurance benefits. In the most recent year, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 21.8 per cent.
The Bahamas has the 47th freest economy in the world according to the Heritage Foundation 2010 Index of Economic Freedom. The Bahamas is ranked 7th out of 29 countries in the South and Central America/Caribbean region, and its overall score is higher than the regional and world averages. Total government spending, including consumption and transfer payments, is relatively low. In the most recent year, government spending equaled 23.4 percent of GDP. Authorities are committed to improving the transparency of budget planning. Annual FDI into The Bahamas is $700 million a year. The Bahamian legal system is based on British common law.
History
Taino people moved into the uninhabited southern Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba around the 7th century AD. These people came to be known as the Lucayans. There were an estimated 30,000+ Lucayans at the time of Columbus's arrival in 1492. Christopher Columbus's first landfall in the New World was on an island named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans as Guanahani), which is generally accepted to be present-day San Salvador Island, (also known as Watling's Island) in the southeastern Bahamas.
An alternative theory holds that Columbus landed to the southeast on Samana Cay, according to calculations made in 1986 by National Geographic writer and editor Joseph Judge based on Columbus's log. Evidence in support of this remains inconclusive. On the landfall island, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.
The Spaniards who followed Columbus depopulated the islands, carrying most of the indigenous people off into slavery. The Lucayans throughout The Bahamas were wiped out by exposure to diseases to which they had no immunity. The smallpox that ravaged the Taino indians after Columbus's arrival wiped out half of the population in what is now The Bahamas.
It is generally assumed that the islands were uninhabited by Europeans until the mid-17th century. However, recent research suggests that there may have been attempts to settle the islands by groups from Spain, France, and Britain, as well as by other Amerindians. In 1648, the Eleutherian Adventurers migrated from Bermuda. These English Puritans established the first permanent European settlement on an island which they named Eleuthera—the name derives from the Greek word for freedom. They later settled New Providence, naming it Sayle's Island after one of their leaders. To survive, the settlers resorted to salvaged goods from wrecks.
In 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas, who rented the islands from the king with rights of trading, tax, appointing governors, and administering the country.
18th century
During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard. To restore orderly government, The Bahamas were made a British crown colony in 1718 under the royal governorship of Woodes Rogers, who, after a difficult struggle, succeeded in suppressing piracy. In 1720 he led local militia to drive off a Spanish attack.
During the American War of Independence, the islands were a target for American naval forces under the command of Commodore Ezekial Hopkins. The capital of Nassau on the island of New Providence was occupied by US Marines for a fortnight.
In 1782, following the British defeat at Yorktown, a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau, which surrendered without a fight. It was recaptured by American Loyalists the following year and the Peace of Paris which ended the global conflict recognised British sovereignty.
After American independence, some 7,300 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas from New York, Florida and the Carolinas. These Americans established plantations on several islands and became a political force in the capital. The small population became mostly African from this point on.
The British abolished the slave trade in 1807, which led to the forced settlement on Bahamian islands of thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy. Slavery itself was finally abolished in the British Empire on August 1, 1834.
20th century
Modern political development began after the Second World War. The first political parties were formed in the 1950s and the British made the islands internally self-governing in 1964, with Roland Symonette of the United Bahamian Party as the first premier.
In 1967, Lynden Pindling of the Progressive Liberal Party became the first black premier of the colony, and in 1968 the title was changed to prime minister. In 1973, The Bahamas became fully independent, but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Sir Milo Butler was appointed the first black governor-general (the representative of Queen Elizabeth II) shortly after independence.
Based on the twin pillars of tourism and offshore finance, the Bahamian economy has prospered since the 1950s. However, there remain significant challenges in areas such as education, health care, international narcotics trafficking and illegal immigration from Haiti.
The origin of the name "Bahamas" is unclear. It may derive from the Spanish baja mar, meaning "shallow seas";[citation needed] or the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma "large upper middle land".
Geography
The Bahamas are a group of about 700 atolls and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited. The largest of the islands is Andros Island, located 120 miles (190 km) southeast of Florida. The Bimini islands are to its northwest. To the North is the island of Grand Bahama, home to the second largest city in the country, Freeport. The island of Great Abaco is to its east. In the far south is the island of Great Inagua, the second largest island in the country. Other notable islands include Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana. Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New Providence. The islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream.
The islands are surface projections of the three oceanic Bahama Banks, the Little Bahama Bank, the Great Bahama Bank and the westernmost Cay Sal Bank. The highest point is only seventy meters above sea level on Long Island; the island of New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, reaches a maximum elevation of only thirty-seven meters. The land on the Bahamas has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is oolitic limestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells. The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp. Low scrub covers much of the surface area. Pineyards are found on four of the northern islands: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, and Andros. On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes. Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin. Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Andros Island, are found in the Bahamas.
Other infos
Oficial Name:
The commonwealth of the Bahamas
Independence:
July 10, 1973
Area:
13.939 km2
Inhabitants:
319.000
Languages:
Bahamas Creole English [bah] 225,000 in Bahamas (1987). Also spoken in USA. Alternate names: Bahamian Creole English, Bahamian Dialect. Dialects: Intelligibility with Sea Islands Creole good. Very close to Sea Islands Creole and Afro-Seminole of USA (Ian Hancock). The major differences with Sea Islands are in phonology, a few words, regional expressions, and a few grammatical differences (verbal markers). There is a spectrum of varieties from Standard USA English usage to the creole (Todd and Hancock 1986). Classification: Creole, English based, Atlantic, Eastern, Northern
English [eng] 49,331 in Bahamas (2004). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Extinct languages
Taino [tnq] Extinct. Members of the ethnic group are also now in the USA, in Florida and New Jersey, in Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Cuba. Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Northern Maipuran, Caribbean
Capital city:
Nassau
Meaning of the country name:
From Spanish Baja Mar – "Low (Shallow) Sea". Spanish conquistadors thus named the islands after the waters around them.
Description flag:
The black equilateral triangle on the left represents the unity and determination of the people of The Bahamas, who are primarily of African descent. The triangle is oriented toward three equal-width stripes symbolizing areas of natural resource. Two aquamarine stripes at the top and bottom of the flag represent the sea and one gold stripe in the middle represents the land. The flag was adopted on July 10, 1973.
Coat of arms:
The coat of arms of the Bahamas contains a shield with the national symbols as its focal point, the shield is supported by a marlin and flamingo.
On top the shield is a conch shell, that represents the varied marine life of the island chain. This rests upon a helmet. Below this is the actual shield, the main symbol of which is a ship, reported to represent the Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus. It is sailing beneath a sun. The animals supporting the shield are the national animals, and the national motto is found at the bottom. The flamingo is located upon land, and the marlin upon sea, indicating the geography of the islands.
The vibrant colors of the coat of arms are also intended to point to a bright future for the islands. They are also reputed to have been maintained due to their attractiveness to tourists.
Motto:
"Forward Upward Onward Together"
National Anthem: March on, Bahamaland
Lift up your head
to the rising sun,
Bahamaland;
March on to glory
your bright banners
waving high.
See how the world
marks the manner
of your bearing!
Pledge to excel
through love and unity.
Pressing onward,
march together
to a common loftier goal;
Steady sunward,
tho' the weather
hide the wide and treachrous shoal.
Lift up your head
to the rising sun, Bahamaland,
'Til the road you've trod
lead unto your God,
March On, Bahamaland.
Internet Page:
Bahamas in diferent languages
eng | ast | bre | fao | fra | frp | fur | glg | hat | ina | lin | nor | nrm | oci | que | roh | rup | spa | srd | swe | tet | wln | wol: Bahamas
bam | est | fin | ita | jav | lld | mlg | ron | scn | vor | zza: Bahama
ces | dsb | hsb | pol | slk | szl: Bahamy
deu | ltz | nds: Bahamas / Bahamas
cat | jnf: Bahames
fry | nld: Bahama’s
hrv | slv: Bahami
kin | run: Bahmasi
mol | slo: Bahama / Бахама
afr: Bahamas; Bahama-eilande
arg: Bahamas; Baamas
aze: Bahama adaları / Баһама адалары
bos: Bahami / Бахами
cor: Ynysow Bahama
crh: Bahamalar / Бахамалар
cym: Y Bahamas
dan: Bahama-øerne; Bahamas
epo: Bahamoj
eus: Bahamak
gla: Na Bahàmas
gle: Na Bahámaí / Na Bahámaí
glv: Ny Bahamaghyn
hun: Bahamák; Bahama-szigetek
ibo: Agwe-etiti Bahama
ind: Bahama / باهاما
isl: Bahamaeyjar
kaa: Bagama atawları / Багама атаўлары
kmr: Adaêd Bahamê / Адаед Баһаме / ئادایێد باهامێ; Adaêd Bagamê / Адаед Багаме / ئادایێد باگامێ; Cizîrêd Bahamê / Щьзиред Баһаме / جزیرێد باهامێ; Cizîrêd Bagamê / Щьзиред Багаме / جزیرێد باگامێ
kur: Bahama / باهاما
lat: Insulae Bahamenses
lav: Bahamu salas; Bahamas
lit: Bahamų solos; Bahamai
mlt: Baħamas
msa: Bahamas / باهاماس
por: Baamas; Bahamas
rmy: Bahamas / बाहामास
sme: Bahamasullot
smg: Bahamas; Bahamā
smo: Pahama
sqi: Bahamët
swa: Visiwa vya Bahama
tuk: Bagam adalary / Багам адалары
tur: Bahama; Bahamalar; Bahama Adaları
uzb: Bagama orollari / Багама ороллари
vie: Ba-ha-ma
vol: Bahamuäns
abq: Багамска дзыгӀвбжяква (Bagamska dzəʿʷbžjakʷa)
alt: Багамский ортолыктар (Bagamskij ortolyktar)
bak: Багама утрауҙары / Bagama utrauźarı
bel: Багамскія астравы / Bahamskija astravy; Багамскія выспы / Bahamskija vyspy
bul: Бахамски острови (Baĥamski ostrovi)
che: Багамаш (Bagamaš)
chm: Багамский остров-влак (Bagamskij ostrov-vlak); Багамы (Bagamy)
chv: Багама утравӗсем (Bagama utravĕsem)
kaz: Багама аралдары / Bagama araldarı / باگاما ارالدارى
kbd: Багамскэ островхэр (Bagamskă ostrovĥăr)
kir: Багама аралдары (Bagama araldary)
kjh: Багамскай олтырыхтар (Bagamskaj oltyryĥtar)
kom: Багамскӧй островъяс (Bagamsköj ostrov"jas)
krc: Багама айрымканлары (Bagama ajrymkanlary)
kum: Багама атавлары (Bagama atavlary)
mkd: Бахами (Baĥami)
mon: Багамын арлууд (Bagamyn arluud)
oss: Багамӕтӕ (Bagamätä)
rus: Багамские острова (Bagamskije ostrova); Багамы (Bagamy)
srp: Бахами / Bahami
tat: Багама утраулары / Bahama utrawları
tgk: Ҷазираҳои Баҳама / جزیرههای بهمه / Çazirahoi Bahama; Ҷазираҳои Багама / جزیرههای بگمه / Çazirahoi Bagama
tyv: Багам ортулуктары (Bagam ortuluktary)
ukr: Багамські острови (Bahams'ki ostrovy); Багами (Bahamy)
ara: الباهاما (al-Bāhāmā); جزر الباهاما (Ǧuzuru l-Bāhāmā); جزائر الباهاما (Ǧazāʾiru l-Bāhāmā); البهاما (al-Bahāmā); جزر البهاما (Ǧuzuru l-Bahāmā); جزائر البهاما (Ǧazāʾiru l-Bahāmā); البهاماس (al-Bahāmās); جزر البهاماس (Ǧuzuru l-Bahāmās); جزائر البهاماس (Ǧazāʾiru l-Bahāmās)
ckb: بەهاما / Behama
fas: باهاما (Bāhāmā)
prs: بهاما (Bahāmā)
pus: بهاما (Bahāmā)
uig: باھاما / Bahama / Баһама
urd: بہاماس (Bahāmās); بہاماز (Bahāmāz)
div: ބަހާމާސް (Bahāmās); ބަހާމަސް (Bahāmas)
heb: בהימה (Bahêmah); באהימה (Bâhêmah); איי-בהימה (Iye-Bahêmah); איי-באהימה (Iye-Bâhêmah); בהמה (Bahamah); בהאמה (Bahâmah); באהאמה (Bâhâmah); איי-בהמה (Iye-Bahamah); איי-בהאמה (Iye-Bahâmah); איי-באהאמה (Iye-Bâhâmah)
lad: באהאמאס / Bahamas
yid: באַהאַמאַס (Bahamas)
amh: ባህማስ (Bahəmas)
ell-dhi: Μπαχάμες (Mpaĥámes)
ell-kat: Μπαχάμαι (Mpaĥámai); Βαχάμαι (Vaĥámai)
hye: Բահամյան կղզիներ (Bahamyan kġziner); Բահամներ (Bahamner)
kat: ბაჰამის კუნძულები (Bahamis kundzulebi)
hin: बहामा (Bahāmā)
ben: বাহামা (Bāhāmā)
pan: ਬਾਹਾਮਾਸ (Bāhāmās)
kan: ಬಹಾಮಾಸ್ (Bahāmās)
mal: ബഹാമാസ് (Bahāmās)
tam: பஹாமாஸ் (Pahāmās); பஹமாஸ் (Pahamās)
tel: బహామాస్ (Bahāmās)
zho: 巴哈馬/巴哈马 (Bāhāmǎ)
jpn: バハマ (Bahama)
kor: 바하마 (Bahama)
mya: ဘဟားမား (Bʰáhàmà)
tha: บาฮามาส (Bāhāmāt)
khm: បាហាម៉ាស (Bāhāmās)