The Bahamas,officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,is a country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and 88% of its population. The archipelagic country consists of more than 3,000 islands,cays,and islets in the Atlantic Ocean,and is located north of Cuba and northwest of the island of Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands,southeast of the U.S. state of Florida,and east of the Florida Keys. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force describes The Bahamas' territory as encompassing 470,000 km2 (180,000 sq mi) of ocean space.
The economy of the Bahamas is dependent upon tourism and offshore banking. The Bahamas is the richest country in the West Indies and is ranked 14th in North America for nominal GDP. It is a stable,developing nation in the Lucayan Archipelago,with a population of 391,232 (2016). Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels,resorts,and residences had led to solid GDP growth for many years. The slowdown in the Economy of the United States and the September 11 attacks held back growth in these sectors from 2001 to 2003.
The Caribbean Community is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states and five associated members throughout the Americas,The Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. It has the primary objective to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members,ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared,and coordinate foreign policy. The organisation was established in 1973,by its four founding members signing the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Its primary activities involve:
The Bahamas is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy headed by King Charles III in his role as King of the Bahamas. The politics of The Bahamas takes place within a framework of parliamentary democracy,with a Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The Bahamas is an Independent Country and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. As a former British colony,its political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom. King Charles III is the head of state,but executive power is exercised by the cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and jurisprudence is based on English common law. The multi-party system is dominated by the Progressive Liberal Party and the Free National Movement. The constitution protects freedom of speech,press,worship,movement,and association.
Perry Gladstone Christie PC,MP is a Bahamian former politician who served as prime minister of the Bahamas from 2002 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2017. He is the second longest-serving Bahamian elected parliamentarian,representing the Centreville constituency from 1977 to 2017. He is also a former athlete. His Progressive Liberal Party is the oldest Bahamian political party,holding solid majorities in the Bahamian Parliament several times in its long history.
The CARICOM Single Market and Economy,also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME),is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) which took place in July 1989 in Grand Anse,Grenada. The Grand Anse Declaration had three key Features:
- Deepening economic integration by advancing beyond a common market towards a Single Market and Economy.
- Widening the membership and thereby expanding the economic mass of the Caribbean Community.
- Progressive insertion of the region into the global trading and economic system by strengthening trading links with non-traditional partners.
The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) is the military of The Bahamas. Since The Bahamas does not have an army or an air force,its navy composes the entirety of its armed forces. Under The Defence Act,the Royal Bahamas Defence Force has been mandated to defend The Bahamas,protect its territorial integrity,patrol its waters,provide assistance 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. The Defence Force is also a member of CARICOM's Regional Security Task Force. The task force has seen action in the United Nations mandate in Haiti 1994.
The Bahamas has a strong bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom,represented by a High Commissioner in London. The Bahamas also associates closely with other nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Philip Edward "Brave" Davis is a Bahamian politician serving as the prime minister of the Bahamas since 2021. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cat Island,Rum Cay &San Salvador from 1992 to 1997 and returned to the seat in May 2002,which he still represents.
Frederick Audley Mitchell Jr. is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs for the third time. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fox Hill,first elected in 2002 and then again in 2021. He also served two terms in the Senate.
The Bahamas is a net importer of food,importing almost 90% of its food supply. Of food imports,80% are from the United States.
A member state of the Caribbean Community is a state that has been specified as a member state within the Treaty of Chaguaramas or any other Caribbean state that is in the opinion of the Conference,able and willing to exercise the rights and assume the obligations of membership in accordance with article 29 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. Member states are designated as either More economically developed country (MDCs) or Less economically developed countries (LDCs). These designations are not intended to create disparity among member states. The Community was established by mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries,but has since become a multilingual organisation in practice with the addition of Dutch-speaking Suriname in 1995 and French-speaking Haiti in 2002. There are fifteen full members of the Caribbean Community,four of which are founding members.
Dame Janet Gwennett Bostwick is a Bahamian lawyer and politician. She entered politics in 1977 with an appointment to the Senate. She was the first woman to serve as acting Prime Minister,first woman Attorney General and the first woman Member of Parliament in the Bahamas.
The Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN) was formed in 2004 following exploratory discussions amongst farmer organizations in 2002. It is a regional network of Farmers' Associations and Non-governmental organizations in the Caribbean,with its headquarters in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Members of CaFAN presently consist of farmer associations from Antigua and Barbuda,Barbados,Bahamas,Belize,Dominica,Grenada,Guyana,Jamaica,St Kitts/Nevis;St Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.
Diplomatic relations exist between The Bahamas and the Republic of Haiti. The Bahamas does not have an embassy in Haiti. Haiti maintains an embassy in Nassau.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 16 September 2021 to elect all 38 members of the House of Assembly.
Michael Clifton Pintard is a Bahamian politician serving as Leader of the Free National Movement and leader of the opposition since 27 November 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Marco City,Grand Bahama since 2017. First appointed in 2010,he served two terms in the Senate. He was the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources from 2018 to 2021.
This article lists events from the year 2022 in The Bahamas.
Alfred Michael Sears is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician,lawyer,and educator serving as the Minister of Immigration and National Insurance since 2023. He also serves as the Member of Parliament for Fort Charlotte,a position he has held since 2021.
