| Bahamas Travel Guide:
Bahamas
Wedding Tips For Your Honeymoon by Rafi Michael
The
Bahamas – A slice of commonwealth Britain in paradise by
John Gibb
Relive
life with the Grand Bahamas Island by Suzane Gray
The
Bahamas – A slice of commonwealth Britain in paradise by John
Gibb
The commonwealth of the Bahamas
is in the West Indies. The country is made up of an archipelago in the
Atlantic Ocean. This means that it is comprised of a series of islands,
which connect to the mainland, thus the pluralized name.
The Bahamas was a British
colony from 1718 and later became an independent country in 1973, while
remaining a part of the Commonwealth of Nations. They retain Queen Elizabeth
II as their monarch and still sing God Save the Queen as a national anthem.
The main language is English though some speak variants of English, Spanish
and Portuguese.
The capital city is Nassau,
which is located on the island New Providence, though Andros Island is
the largest in the group. The city was a haven for the pirates that sailed
the Caribbean, including the famous Blackbeard, and was fought over by
several nations, notably Spain and England. The whole region was notorious
in legend for pirate activity, and is used as a set for many books and
films on the subject.
The pirates even disrupted
the area’s government at one point by declaring an anarchic ‘Privateer’s
Republic’ and ransacking Charlestown, which would later become Nassau.
The islands had been through the hands of the Spanish and they had all
but destroyed the native population of Arawak Indians. The British stopped
a lot of the trouble when they made the islands a British Crown Colony.
The islands are mostly Christian,
with a heavy leaning towards the Protestant church, other denominations
being present but in minority. A very small minority practise Obeah and
Voodoo, both similar to each other, as spiritualistic folk beliefs.
The Prime Minister of the
Bahamas is Perry Gladstone Christie, born 1944, and third Prime Minister
of the nation. Christie has earned awards for his efforts in urban renewal
and community policing, though has also been in scandal surrounding his
political tactics.
The Bahamas’ main industry
is tourism, with the island being a massive tourist spot for most western
countries. The tropical location and mysterious history make for an ideal
spot and a popular place for couples, families and partiers.
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