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Bahamas Facts 

Here are some interesting facts about the Bahamas 

1. The Bahamas are a Caribbean country in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Bahamas are a chain of over 700 islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. About 30 of the islands are inhabited.

2. The Bahamas are located on the North American continent. The islands are located to the northeast of Cuba and southeast of Florida/USA. The Bahamas islands are only 88 km/ 55 miles off the coast of Florida/USA. 

3. The largest island of the over 700 islands is Andros. 

4. The most populated island of the Bahamas is New Providence, where the capital city is located. New Providence island houses about 70% of the country's population. 

5. The combined land area of the 700 islands is slightly smaller in land area than Connecticut/USA.

6. Nassau is the capital city of the Bahamas. About 280,000 people live there. The capital city Nassau is named after King William III of England, Scotland and Ireland, who lived from 1650 - 1702. King William III was from the House of Orange-Nassau. However, Nassau was originally called Charles Town, when it was founded in 1665, then in honour of King Charles II.

7. The islands were inhabited by Lucayans for a long time before Columbus arrived in San Salvador or by the indigenous name Guanahani  in 1492. The first English settlers came to the islands in 1648 to establish a Puritan colony. 

8. From 1696 - 1718, the Bahamas were a republic of pirates. Famous pirate Edward Teach called 'Blackbeard' was elected 'Magistrate' of Nassau and ruled the island until in 1718 the republic was dissolved by King George I. The islands were British colony from 1783 - 1973 when the Bahamas gained independence. The country’s independence is celebrated annually on 10 July.

9. The islands are made of corals and are flat and there are only some low hills.

10. The highest point of the islands is on Cat Island with 64 m/ 209 ft in height.

11. Only 1% of the land is cultivated and used for agriculture. Sugar cane, cassava, fruits such as mangoes, grapefruits, dates, bananas and vegetables are the main agricultural products. However, about 80% of the food supply is imported.

12. The name Bahamas originates from the Spanish term 'baja mar' which means shallow sea waters.

13. The national colours are aquamarine, yellow and black.

14. The national symbols include the flamingo, the blue marlin and the yellow elder flower.

15. The Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the America, however, the country is largely dependent on tourism. Most people work in the services and tourism sectors in the Bahamas with about half of the Bahamians being employed in tourism.

16. The Bahamas have a population of about 397,000 people. Two thirds of the population live on the island of New Providence.  

17. The vast majority of the Bahamians are Christians (95%).

18. Famous Bahamian people include Lynden Pindling whose progressive liberal party helped to gain independence from England. The international airport in Nassau is named after him. 

19. The official language of the Bahamas is English, however, the Bahamian English is a mixture of British English with African and island slang. The pronunciation is unique as the 'h' is often dropped in words such as house, which will sound like 'ouse' instead, or thanks will be sound like 't’hanks'.

20. The most popular Bahamian festival is the Junkanoo. 

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking