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Bahamas:
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Other pages in this profile of the Bahamas:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. |
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Location |
Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba |
Geographic coordinates |
24 15 N, 76 00 W |
Map references |
Central America and the Caribbean |
Area |
total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly smaller than Connecticut |
Land boundaries |
0 km |
Coastline |
3,542 km |
Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate |
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
Terrain |
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
Natural resources |
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
Land use |
arable land: 0.58% permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
10 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage |
Environment - current issues |
coral reef decay; solid waste disposal |
Environment - international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note |
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |