The Bahamas is the Island about which you can understand by the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas. Download these maps and use them for your study requirements. The Bahamas is among one the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean. The printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas shows that the location of the Bahamas is just above Cuba and southeast of the U.S state of Florida in the Atlantic ocean. See more in the free printable world map.
Table of Contents
Printable Labelled And Blank Map Of Bahamas
Bahamas Map with States
Labelled Map of Bahamas
Printable Map of Bahamas
History of the Bahamas
The Five Biggest Cities In The Bahamas
Geography and climate
Government and politics
Economy in the Bahamas
Demographics of the Bahamas
Culture and sports in the Bahamas
Printable Labelled And Blank Map Of Bahamas
There are 29 official islands in the Bahama, with 661 islets and cays and 2,387 rocks. Most of the places are uninhabited and divided into 16 regions. The island comprises, or the clusters are Bimini, Grand Bahama, the Berry Islands, New Providence, the Abacos, Eleuthera, Andros, the Exumas, Cat Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Long Island, Ragged Island, Inagua, the Acklins & Crooked Islands, and Mayaguana. View and download the free printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas
Bahamas Map with States
Atlantic and the Caribbean are connected with the Bahamas. It is also the most popular tourist destination on the east coast of the United States. 80% of the total population lives on Providence Island, Which is why it is heavily populated with 250,000 people. Also, the capital of the Bahamas, Nassau, is located on this Island. More can be seen in the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above and below.
Labelled Map of Bahamas
Most of the island part is low-lying and flat; Mount Alvernia on Cat Island is the highest point with a small 207-foot hill. Harbour Bay on Eleuthera Island is one of the few rare places globally as they have pink sand formed with crushed seashells and sand. Planning a visit, look at the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above and below.
Printable Map of Bahamas
Andros Island is the largest of all the islands and is known for being the swampy mangrove island with the country’s largest nature preserves; the further west you go on the island, the land just kind of sinks into a flat, low, marshy terrain that eventually melts into the ocean with sandy, splashy islets, and ponds.
Flamingo Island is another name for Inagua Island. It’s also a paradise for bird-watchers with many species of birds. On the island of Mayaguana, only native mammal species are found. It has a total of 380,000 population which is quite much for an Island. The printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas below does not show all the islands, as there are over 700 of them. Note, the Bahamas is typically considered as part of North America on the map.
History of the Bahamas
Although Paleo-Indians may have populated the area previously, Taino Indians from Hispaniola and Cuba moved into the southern Bahamas around the 7th century AD and became the Lucayans. There were an estimated 40,000 Lucayans at the time of Columbus’ arrival. Christopher Columbus‘ first landfall in the New World was on the island of San Salvador, also called Watling’s Island, in the south part of the Bahamas. Here, Columbus made contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them.
The Bahamian Lucayans were taken to Hispaniola as enslaved people. In two decades, many Lucayan societies ceased to exist, as the population endured considerable forced labor, warfare, disease, emigration and out marriage.
After the Lucayan population was decimated, the Bahamian islands were virtually unoccupied until the English settlers came from Bermuda in 1650. The so-called Eleutherian Adventurers established settlements on the island Eleuthera. The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718. Some 8,000 loyalists and their slaves moved to the Bahamas in the late 1700s from New York, Florida and the Carolinas.
The British made the islands internal self-government in 1964 and 1973; Bahamians got complete independence while staying a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Since the 1950s, the Bahamian economy has prospered based on the twin pillars of tourism and financial services. Despite this, however, the country still faces significant challenges in education, healthcare, correctional facilities and violent crime and illegal immigration. The urban renewal project has been launched to help impoverished urban regions of social decline in the main islands.
Today, the country enjoys the third-highest per capita income in the western hemisphere. Some say the name ‘Bahamas’ derives from the Spanish for “shallow sea”, Baja Mar. Others trace it to the Lucayan word for Grand Bahama Island, ba-ha-ma (“large upper middle land”).
The Five Biggest Cities In The Bahamas
- Nassau: Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, is located on New Providence Island, the country’s business district. Nearly 70% of the total population of the Bahamas live in Nassau. Historically considered a pirate stronghold, Nassau currently hosts the House of Assembly and various judicial departments of the country. Nassau’s modern growth started after the city’s occupation by immigrant American Loyalists and their slaves in the late 18th century following the American Revolutionary War. Nassau houses the Lynden Pindling International Airport, and ferries provide water travel services to the surrounding islands from Nassau. UNESCO recognizes the city as a City of Crafts and Folk Art, one of the three countries to enjoy this title. The city can be seen in the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above.
- Lucaya: Lucaya, ranking second among the biggest cities in the Bahamas, is located on the Grand Bahama Island, about 160 km east of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale. Lucaya is one of the prime tourist destinations in the Bahamas. It has a large number of hotels, resorts, and attractions. A dolphinarium, scuba diving, and shark feeding dives are some attractions and activities offered to tourists visiting this city. Lucaya can be seen in the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above.
- Freeport: Freeport, ranking third among the biggest cities in the Bahamas, is a free trade zone located on Grand Bahama Island. The townhouses are the Grand Bahama International Airport and domestic Bahamian ferry services. The strategic location of Freeport, just 130 km off the coast of Florida’s Palm Beach, has rendered the city an ideal center for international business. Tourists visit the city in great numbers, but tourism witnessed a downfall after the major hurricanes of 2004; the loss is now nearly completely recovered. Freeport can be seen in the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above.
- West End: Located on the island of Grand Bahama, West End is the westernmost and oldest town in the region. It is the capital of Grand Bahama Island. It hosts the West End Airport, which serves primarily private. West End can be seen in the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above.
- Coopers Town: Coopers Town is a small town on the second largest island in the Bahamas which is Abaco. The city houses several prominent residents of the Bahamas. The Albert Bootle family from Grand Bahama settled here in the 1870s. The former Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham also belongs to Coopers Town. Pineapple and sea sponge harvesting were the major industries in the town, but the absence of a natural harbor has discouraged the industrial growth of Coopers Town. Coopers Town can be seen in the printable labelled and blank map of Bahamas above.
Geography and climate
The island of Abaco is to its east. The most southeastern island is Inagua. Other notable islands include Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador, Acklins, Crooked Island, Exuma and Mayaguana. Nassau is the capital and largest city, located in New Providence. The islands have a subtropical climate moderated by the Gulf Stream. In the southeast, the Caicos Islands and the Turks Islands, and three more extensive submarine features called Mouchoir Bank, Silver Bank, and Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation of the Bahamas but not part of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
The climate of the Bahamas is subtropical to tropical and is moderated significantly by the waters of the Gulf Stream, particularly in winter. Conversely, this often proves very dangerous in the summer and autumn, when hurricanes pass near or through the islands. Hurricane Andrew hit the northern islands in 1992, and Hurricane Floyd hit most of the islands in 1999. Hurricane Frances of 2004 was expected to be the worst ever for the islands. Also, in 2004, the northern Bahamas were hit by a less potent Hurricane Jeanne. In 2005 the islands of the north were struck again, this time by Hurricane Wilma. Tidal surges and high winds destroyed homes and schools, floated graves and made roughly 1,000 people homeless. The homeless were stuck without food, water and resources and were left to depend on the government.
Government and politics
The Bahamas is an independent country and member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom.
The Queen of the United Kingdom is the ceremonial head of state, represented by a Bahamian governor-general. Prime Minister is the head of government and is the party’s leader with the most seats in the elected House of Assembly. The upper house – or Senate – is appointed. The cabinet exercises executive power. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament.
The party system is dominated by the center-left Progressive Liberal Party and the center-right Free National Movement. A handful of splinter parties have been unable to win the election to parliament, despite a feeling among many Bahamians that both the FNM and the PLP are strikingly similar in their approach. These parties include the Bahamas Democratic Movement, the Coalition for Democratic Reform and the Bahamian Nationalist Party.
Constitutional safeguards include freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association. The Bahamas is a member of the Caribbean Community. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Jurisprudence is based on English common law.
Economy in the Bahamas
The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. The Bahamas is generally reckoned to be one of the leading offshore financial centers. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in the construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth.
Manufacturing and agriculture contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the United States, the source of the majority of tourist visitors.
The unemployment rate fell to 7.6% in 2006, from 10.2% in 2005, primarily due to the construction of several significant resort developments throughout the country. In the two most populated islands in The Bahamas, unemployment fell from 10.9 percent to 6.6 percent in New Providence and from 11 percent to 8.4 percent in Grand Bahama. The estimated poverty rate in 2004 was 9.3%.In addition, the average household income has increased to $43,420 from $38,894 in 2005. The Bahamian and United States dollars are both distributed on a 1:1 exchange.
Demographics of the Bahamas
The Bahamian population is approximately 85% of African descendants, followed by 12% of Caucasian descendants. Other minorities include Asians and Hispanics at 3%. Many Bahamian Caucasians are concentrated on Abaco Island, Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, Long Island, and the Montagu Bay district of New Providence (just to the east of Nassau). There are also many non-citizen Caucasian expatriates from the United States and Europe. The official language is English, spoken by nearly all inhabitants, though many talks about a patois form of the Bahamian Creole Dialect, not to be confused with Haitian Creole said by many immigrants. Immigrant groups also speak Spanish and Portuguese.
An intensely religious country, there are more places of worship per person in the Bahamas than in any other nation. The islands are overwhelming Protestant Christian (over 80%). Baptists form the most significant denomination (about one third), followed by the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. A few people, especially in the southern and eastern islands, practice Obeah, a spiritistic religion similar to Voodoo. While well-known throughout the Bahamas, Obeah is shunned by many people. Voodoo is practiced almost exclusively by many immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Culture and sports in the Bahamas
Bahamian culture is a hybrid of African and European influences. Perhaps its most famous expression is a rhythmic form of music called junkanoo. Aside from Junkanoo, other indigenous forms of music include rake and scrape, calypso, and a unique form of the hymnal, known internationally through the theme of the late Joseph Spence. Marching bands are also an essential part of life, playing at funerals, weddings and other ceremonial events.
In the less developed islands – more often called “family islands” – crafts include basketry made from palm fronds. This material, commonly called “straw”, is also plaited into hats and bags as today’s popular tourist items. Regattas are important social events in many family island settlements. They usually feature one or more days of sailing by old-fashioned workboats, as well as an onshore festival.
Some settlements have festivals associated with the traditional crop or food of that area, such as the “Pineapple Fest” in Gregory Town, Eleuthera or the “Crab Fest” on Andros. Other significant traditions include storytelling and the practice of Obeah.
There is no real national sport in the Bahamas. Although British sports like cricket, soccer and Rugby are still popular, American influences are more vital today, as seen in the popularity of basketball, softball and American football. There are several world-class Bahamian track and field athletes.
The Bahamas have won Olympic gold medals in sailing (Sir Durwood Knowles and Cecile Cooke – 1964), and track and field (Tonique Williams-Darling – 2004, and women’s relay team – 2000)
