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| THE BAHAMAS FROM SPACE |
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| BAHAMAS |
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| NASSAU - CAPITAL |
The Bahamas are made up of 700 islands and over a 900km of the Atlantic
Ocean. They are reaching from the southern tip of Florida to the south-east of
Cuba. The islands are low-levelled and made of corals. From all the 700 islands
only 22 islands are inhabited. The reason is that the soil is poor, no deposits
of minerals and any other wealth. Under water the corals reefs are teaming with
fish and marine life.
The climate is warm all year round.
However, they do have a hurricane season and it can have a disastrous effect.
The climate, beaches and coral reefs attracts visitors from all over the world.
Tourism is the biggest industry. The nearby US is where the most
holiday makers come from.
The Bahamas, unfortunately, are also
know for offshore business and shipping registration which provides income but
also abuse of the system. It is also known for illegal drugs trafficking and the
government is trying to stop the trade.
The Taino people moved into the
inhabited south Bahamas from Hispaniola and Cuba in the 7th century AD.
They became known as the Lucayans. At the time of Christopher Columbus
arrival in 1492 there were about 30,000 people. After his arrival the
Lucayans were wiped out by exposure to the smallpox and bad treatment.
When Christopher Columbus sailed to
the Caribbean Islands in 1492 it is assumed that he landed on the Bahamas
Island called San Salvador or Watling Island. When the Spaniards landed they
met the native inhabitants called Lucayans. The Spaniards did not bother with
the island but took the native inhabitants and sold them on the island of
Hispandiola, also in the Caribbean, as slaves.
The British people arrived in the
Bahamas in the mid-16th century and for the first 100 years shared the land
with buccaneers and pirates.
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| BAHAMAS SUNSET |
One of the most famous pirates was Blackbeard.
They tried to colonise the land.
In 1973 The Bahamas became
independent members of the Commonwealth and with that the British rule ended in
a matter of speaking.
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| BAHAMAS PARLIAMENT IN NASSAU THE CAPITOL |
