21 Bahamas History Facts That Will Completely Fascinate You

The Bahamas is a premier holiday destination on the North Atlantic Ocean.

When you look at the Bahamas map, you will find it to the southeast of the United States, close to southern Florida. The country is part of the Caribbean archipelago.

The name 'Bahamas' has a Spanish origin. It comes from two Spanish words- Baja Mar, meaning 'shallow seas'.

Indeed, the depth of the seawater in and around these islands is not high. However, the original name of the Bahamas was Guanahani by the Lucayan. From the geological point of view, the Bahamas are formed from coral reefs and sand bars, unlike the volcanic island chains in most of the West Indies, that lies to the south.

This is the reason why technically the Bahamas is not seen as part of the Caribbean islands. But the people of the Bahamas are culturally and historically part of the greater Caribbean community.

There are over 700 islands and islets, and 2400 cays (coral reefs) in the Bahamas. But only about 30 of them are inhabited.

The largest island of this chain is the one called Andros island. Other major islands include Grand Bahama Island, New Providence Island, Paradise Island, Harbour Island, Long Island, Eleuthera Island, Berry Islands. The Grand Bahama International airport is situated on the island of Grand Bahama.

Most of the uninhabited islands are major tourist hotspots. They are the sites where people flock to enjoy the natural beauty, water sports, diving activities, fishing, and more.

The elevation of the Bahamas islands is quite low, with the highest point being just 209 ft (64 m) above mean sea level. This is situated on Cat Island and is named Mount Alvernia.

Close to four million people live in the Bahamas. Due to the historical link of this part of the world to Spanish missionary activities, the major religion that the Bahamians follow is Catholic Christianity.

Do you know that sports lovers and adventure junkies from around the world come to the Bahamas to partake in the various adrenaline-oriented activities in store here?

Take for example cliff diving. The blue holes of the Bahamas are world-famous for their proximity to the shores. Dean's Blue Hole in Long Island offers a chance to professional divers to go for world records!

If are enjoying reading this article on Bahamas facts, go ahead and click on Panama history facts and Alaska history facts.

History Of The Bahamas

The Bahamas were first inhabited by the descendants of Taino Indians. They had most likely crossed over from North America sometime during the last Ice Age. Seeing as the shallow sea surrounds the islands, it is understood that in the remote past, parts of the westernmost region of the archipelago were connected to mainland America by land.

These native Indians were known as the Lucayans. They were living on these islands when in 1492 Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of the island of San Salvador. Christopher Columbus had mistaken this place for India and proclaimed the land for his sponsors, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

What happened next was a tragedy. The European colonizers took control of the entire Lucayan populace in San Salvador.

The Spanish crew of Christopher Columbus brought all sorts of diseases with them and crossed them over to the native people.

Since the Lucayans did not have natural protection against these new diseases, many of them started dying in huge numbers. This, along with the fact that the colonizers turned them into slaves and made them do all types of exhaustive tasks, resulted in the total annihilation of the Lucayan civilization on all the Bahamian islands.

Within just 25 years or so, the entire population of the Lucayans was wiped out from existence. The Spanish ships, on their part, continued using the islands to embark and disembark on their journeys from North and South America to Europe.

Contrary to many popular misconceptions, the Bahamas is not owned by US territorial jurisdiction.

It is an independent country with full rights and membership in the United Nations. The capital city is located on New Providence Island and is named Nassau, and has a population of close to three million.

The New Providence island is home to more than 70 percent of the total population of the island nation. Nassau was formerly known as Charlestown in honor of the former King of England Charles II. It was a colony of the United Kindom for over 300 years and was given independence in the year 1973.

Independence came after a prolonged period of campaigns and demonstrations. In 1964, the Bahamas were granted self-rule. This was the first step towards full independence.

The Bahamas did not have proper masters until the latter part of the seventeenth century. The first English people started arriving in 1648 and were mostly Christian missionaries.

This was a time when the islands were the hotbed of pirates and outlaws. However, this pirate stronghold was eventually captured by the English Navy under the orders of King Geroge I of Britain in 1718.

It remained with English as an overseas territory until it was converted into a British colony in 1783. From 1793 until the time the Bahamas got its independence, the English ruled the islands without opposition from other European powers.

Age Of Piracy

The Bahamas did not have proper masters until the latter part of the seventeenth century. The first English people started arriving in 1648 and were mostly Christian missionaries. This was a time when the islands were the hotbed of pirates and outlaws.

The town of Nassau was the capital of this pirate haven. Nassau harbor was the principal meeting spot for all the biggest pirate groups of the North and South Atlantic.

So much so, that in 1696, the region became christened unofficially as the Pirate Republic. The pirate, known as Blackbeard, was even made the magistrate of Nassau.

If you are familiar with the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, you will be able to imagine how the place would have looked like. This was a time when piracy was at its highest.

It is known as the golden age of pirates.

With no dearth of merchant ships crossing the Atlantic in huge numbers, these pirates looted the vessels of all the things they carried, mainly gold, silver, spices, grain. The economy of Nassau under the rule of the pirates was thus thriving at this point.

It is no wonder that when the British sent Captain-General Woodes Rogers to eliminate the pirates from the Bahamas, there took place an armed struggle between the two forces. Many buccaneers perished as a result of this encounter, but it is said that Blackbeard made a safe exit to the sea.

Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, was made the magistrate of Nassau. He was a nightmare for trading ships across the North Atlantic.

However, this pirate stronghold was eventually captured by the English Navy under the orders of King Geroge I of Britain in 1718. It remained with English as an overseas territory until it was converted into an English colony in 1783.

From 1793 until the time the Bahamas got its independence, the English ruled the islands without opposition from other European powers.

Tourism And Independence

Does it not come as a given when we tell you that tourism forms the bulk of the industry of the Bahamas? It is mainly the income from the tourism sector that makes the country one of the richest in the western hemisphere.

The entire region of the Bahamas is rich in flora and fauna. So the Bahamas offer a majestic view of the Atlantic from its numerous beaches and coves.

An island country with so many big and tiny atolls is sure to give hungry tourists millions of reasons to smile. Over 70 percent of the total population for the Bahamas is dependent directly or indirectly on the tourism industry.

Since the country's independence, major developments have taken place on several islands for the ease and comfort of traveling tourists. You will find top-notch resorts and hotels on Paradise Island, other parts also have sufficient infrastructure to welcome guests.

The proximity to the United States has come as a boon for the people of the Bahamas. Every year, thousands of Americans visit the Bahamas for holidays.

According to a survey, around 85 percent of the total tourist population arriving in the country hail from the US. This shows how important America is to the economy of the country. The currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar.

It is on par with the US dollar. People from the US find it easy to roam around this country since the US dollar is accepted in most places.

Along with tourism, the Bahamas also earns revenue from its services to offshore finance systems. Only around 1 percent of the total land area is used for cultivation. Although food and cash crops are grown on the tracts under cultivation, a major chunk of essential food items is imported from neighboring countries, mainly the US.

When you visit this gorgeous nation, you will most likely reach its shores on cruise ships. Although the Bahamas do have an airline called Bahamasair, a majority of the tourists from other countries prefer to take the ocean route to this country. The world's largest number of cruise ships and yachts are registered in the Bahamas.

Government And Politics

Would you have guessed that Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is the Head of State of the Bahamas? It is surprising, to say the least. That is because the Bahamas is a Commonwealth nation. You may wonder what Commonwealth nations are. They are independent nations around the world that were once part of the British Empire.

The role of the Queen of England in these nations is limited and is mostly a symbolic representation of the heritage and present day good relationship between the scattered nations and Britain. In the Bahamas too, real power is concentrated in the hands of the democratically elected Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister is selected from the political party that gains the majority in the Bahamian parliament.

The current Prime Minister of the Bahamas is Philip Davis. He is a member of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and has been the Prime Minister since September 2021.

There is also a Governor-General appointed by the Queen to represent her in the affairs of the state.

This post too is symbolic and a remnant of British rule since the Governor-General acts under the guidance and supervision of the elected government. The government of the Bahamas shares a cordial relationship with its former colonizers, Britain.

But in recent times, there has been a growing feeling that the government of the UK should hand over the Turks and Caicos Islands to the Bahamas.

These small islands are located beyond the eastern edge of the territory of the Bahamas and are a natural extension of the island chain. It will be interesting to see how the present governments of the two countries deal with the new crisis.

Flag Of The Bahamas

Did you know that the Queen of England and her representative on the island country both have separate flags to themselves? Although they are not the ones we get to see on international forums, these flags remind us of the colonial past of the country.

The country of the Bahamas has had a handful of flags since the British became masters of the islands back in the early eighteenth century. The first proper flag that the British started to use came into existence in the year 1869.

It was primarily a blue ensign flag with the insignia of the British Bahamas printed to the bottom-right of the plane. To the top-left corner, the British Union Jack was in full show. This was in use until this British colony thought about altering it in 1904.

When the country was given the right to self-rule, the flag was automatically changed. It still had the British Union Jack to the top corner.

The present flag of the Bahamas was adopted in 1973, the year it got its independence from Britain. The flag of the Bahamas has a black triangle on the hoist side and aquamarine blue and gold and yellow bands.

It has a proportion of 1:2. The yellow represents the golden sand on the beaches and natural resources, the blue represents the sea surrounding the country, and the black represents the strength, vigor, and force of the Bahamian people.

The direction of the triangle evokes the enterprising and determined nature for the cultivation of the land. In addition to the national flag, the Bahamas also has a coat of arms.

This is in keeping with the colonial past and heritage of the country. The motto that has been adopted for the coat of arms is Forward Upward, Onward Together!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Bahamas history facts then why not take a look at Jamaica history facts, or Norway history facts?