The Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is a multitude of islands that stretch southeast of Florida. It is officially designated as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It includes 700 islands and 2,000 coral reefs. Of these, only 30 islands are inhabited. The total area of the island state exceeds 250 thousand square meters. km. The Bahamas was discovered in 1492 by Columbus.
The Bahamas are sometimes referred to as the Caribbean, when in fact they are part of the West Indies. The archipelago also includes the Turks and Caicos Islands, which do not belong to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, but are considered an overseas possession of Great Britain. The most populated of the islands are New Providence (where the capital of the state is located - the city of Nassau) and Grand Bahama. The largest island is Andros. The Bahamas are formed from coral limestones that reach a depth of about 1,500 m. The shallow waters abound in coral formations and reefs. The most significant reefs form the Great Bahamas Bank.
The islands are covered with plains and karst formations. The highest point is the peak of Mount Alvernia, which rises to 62 m. There are beaches in the coastal zones. There are almost no rivers on the islands, and the flora is rather poor. The land surface is mainly occupied by savannas, evergreen shrubs and pine forests. Coconut palms grow in coastal areas. The islands of Big Abaco and Andros have rainforests.
Weather
The Bahamas are located in an area of tropical trade winds. Abundant rainfall is recorded here in May and June, as well as in the first months of autumn. In July, the average air temperature is +30 degrees, in January +21 degrees. The climate is greatly influenced by the warm current of the Gulf Stream. During the summer and fall, the Bahamas are prone to hurricanes.
a brief description of
In past centuries, the Spaniards took the locals to Haiti as slaves. Gradually, the Indians were almost destroyed, after which the Spaniards left the islands. Nowadays, mulattoes and blacks prevail among the population. The white population is approximately 12%. These are the descendants of immigrants from Great Britain.
Today, the Bahamas is an independent state based on the Westminster model. The Bahamas is a constitutional monarchy led by the Queen of Great Britain. Its representative on the islands is the Governor General. The local population is mainly employed in tourism.
