The Bahamas Izzie Sudkin

Person scuba diving in the Bahamas

Government

The government type is parliamentary democracy and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. This means The Bahamas is under jurisdiction by the UK and the monarch is directly-elected.

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (Since 02/06/1952)

Head of Government: Prime Minister Hubert A. Ingraham (Since 05/04/07)

Queen Elizabeth II Hurbert A. Ingraham

Economy

Economy type: Market Economy

Success: Tourism provides 60% of the GDP and employs about half of the Bahamian workforce.

Struggle: The Bahamas has always been a much larger importer than exporter.

Freeport on Grand Bahama is where cargo is loaded

Economy Continued

major imports: machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, mineral fuels, food, and live animals.

major exports: mineral products, salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit, and vegetables

The US is the most important trade partner.

Fruit is a major export in the tropical climate.

Geography Maps

General Region

Physical Feature map

Political Map

General Geography

•Over 700 significant islands and cays.

•It is 5,382 square miles.

•The capital is Nassau, located on the island New Providence

•Nassau's latitude and longitude coordinates are; 25 °N, 77 ° W

Map of New Providence, where Nassau is located.

Climate

• The overall climate is warm all year long because the Bahamas lie in the path of the Gulf of Mexico.

• The average annual rainfall is 52 inches and humidity is 60-100 percent.

• The islands are located right outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt. Global warming and climate change are causing hurricanes to occur more often with a higher intensity.

Climate map of Nassau, Bahamas

Climate (Vegetation)

• Many of the islands have enriched soil and many swamps.

• Although there is little lush vegetation, trees such as mahogany, ironwood, and pine grow on some islands.

• Lignum vitae (also called holywood), a hardwood with blue flowers is the national tree.

• There are 30 to 40 wild orchid species.

Lignum vitae

Country Flag

•The bands stands for the 700 bahamian islands.

•The black triangle stands for unity.

•The golden hue is said to symbolize the sun-warmed coasts of the islands.

Bahamian Flag

Currency

•Currently, (April 25, 2012) $1.00 USD is equal to .9948 BSD.

•The sign for their money is $B since 1966

•1$B is divided into 100 cents.

•The dollar replaced the pound at a rate of 1 dollar = 7 shillings in 1966

Bahamian Dollar

Bahamian Coins

Culture

• This is a picture of the Nassau "Junkanoo" on December 26, or New Years.

• Drums, cowbells, horns, scrapers, and brass instruments are common instruments used in the celebration.

• The word "Jon canoe" came from an African slave named John Canoe in the 17th century

A typical Junkanoo festival

Culture

•Johnnycake is a popular dish in the Bahamas

•This recipe is said to have came over from the Southern US with the slave ancestors of today's Bahamians.

•Often considered a poor man's food since it was the staple diet for early settlers.

Johnnycake

NATIONAL ANTHEM

CLICK LINK FOR FULL VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0UI14zdIis

QuickTime™ and aH.264 decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Sourceshttp://www.2012queensdiamondjubilee.com/wp-content/themes/queens/timthumb.php?src=http://www.2012queensdiamondjubilee.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Queen-at-Parliament-430.jpg&h=296&w=430&zc=1

http://www.eleutheranews.com/thumbnail.php?file=Hubert_Ingraham_Offical_944255718.jpg&size=article_medium

http://www.countryreports.org/country/TheBahamas/symbols/flag.htm

http://www.currency-calculator.org/exchangerate/BSD/

http://www.planetware.com/picture/grand-bahama-island-port-of-freeport-bah-bah289.htm

http://www.turkey-visit.com/map/Bahamas/bahamas_map.jpg

http://www.intercarto.com/EN/produits_image/image_1457_BDM_Bahamas_GB.gif

http://www.mapsofworld.com/bahamas/maps/bahamas-location-map.gif

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bahamian_coins_by_Slapyvard.jpg

http://www.countryreports.org/country/TheBahamas/gallery/recreation.htm

http://www.bahamatopia.com/images/nassau.gif

http://www.climatetemp.info/graph/bahamas_files/image001.gif

http://www.freundfloweringtrees.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Guaiacum%20sanctum-Lignum%20Vitae%20(2).JPG

http://www.countryreports.org/country/TheBahamas/gallery/christmas.htm

http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blogs/foodfreeway/files/2010/08/Johnny-Cake.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0UI14zdIis