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The Bahamas. So close,
yet so far away. The Bahamas chain is within a scant 50 miles from the coast of Florida, but in that 50 miles you
cross into another dimension. A time and place without worries, a relaxing atmosphere, and friendly people. Even
though you can reach the Bahamas in less than an hour's flight from the Florida coast, the country's natural beauty
and exotic appeal make it seem more like a far-flung outpost. The water ranges from pale aqua to deep sapphire,
the spectrum changing hourly as the relentless Bahamian sun sweeps across the island sky.
The Islands Of The Bahamas is a 100,000-sq-mile
archipelago that extends over 500 miles of the clearest
water in the world. The 700 islands, including uninhabited
cays and large rocks, total an estimated land area
of 5,382 sq miles, and register a highest land elevation
of 206 ft. Most notable, however, is that each  island
has it’s own diversity that continues beyond geography,
carrying through to the heart of The Bahamas, the
Bahamian people.
You can choose an island with lots of activities, shopping, dining and nightlife. Or maybe an island where few
other people will be seen, and the afternoon activities include swinging in your hammock and watching the sun fall
from the edge of the earth. It's up to you.
History
Arawak 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 its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants
into the US.
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Bahamas At A Glance
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Language: English (official)
Government: Constitutional
parliamentary democracy
Capital: Nassau
Size: 13,940 sq
km
Location: Caribbean,
chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba
Climate: Tropical
marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Electricity: 120
Volts AC
Currency: Bahamian
dollar (BSD)
Driving: Drive on
the left. Valid drivers license needed
Rentals: Major companies
in larger cities such as Nassau and Freeport. Local companies on the out islands
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