About The Bahamas
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is a sovereign country of over 700 islands and nearly 2,500 islets known as cays.
Considered part of the Caribbean, the archipelago of The Bahamas lies in the Atlantic Ocean, beginning east of Palm Beach, Florida and extending southeast nearly 750 miles to where Andros is within 75 miles of Cuba and Inagua is nearing both the southeastern tip of Cuba and the island of Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic). The Tropic of Cancer runs through the Great Bahama Bank on the eastern side of Andros and through the Island of Great Exuma.
The majority of Bahamians live in two major population centers, the capital city of Nassau on the island of New Providence and Freeport located on Grand Bahama Island.
The other islands and cays are called the Out Islands. Approximately 30 of these Islands are inhabited. Although Andros is the largest of the Out Islands it remains one of the least populated with only 8,000 people living in small settlements scattered along the east coast.The Bahama Islands are mostly flat and were formed hundreds of centuries ago when sea levels dropped and coral reef formations became dry land. The resulting islands are made entirely of calcium carbonate deposits produced by the organisms of those coral reefs. There are no rivers and what we call creeks are actually tidal estuaries which together with the shallow shorelines are home to countless schools of bonefish.
The Bahamas is home to the world’s third largest barrier reef, lying close to the eastern shores of Andros. In fact, 5% of the world’s coral is found in the waters of The Bahamas.
Countless words have been written about the Bahamas, most of them intended to attract travelers to the bustling hotels, casinos and beaches of Nassau and Freeport. Much less has been written about the Out Islands of The Bahamas. Here the pace is slowed and people still live the way they did many years ago. Undeveloped and pristine, the Out Islands are the destination of travelers seeking something not found in the cities.
