 Where In The World?
Where in the World are The Bahamas?
It's time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ship's captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol . Get ready to travel the world!
On your globe, locate latitude 24 North and longitude 76 West, and you will see The Bahamas. The country is northeast of Cuba and southeast of Florida. This archipelago, or chain of islands, stretches for 500 miles over the sea and is made up of over 700 tiny islands! Only 30 of the islands have people living on them. The Bahamas are about the size of the state of Connecticut!
The official name of the country is the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The country's name comes from the Spanish word bajamar, which means "shallow water."
Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first landed on San Salvador in 1492. He claimed the land for Spain. The Bahamas belonged to Spain for some time, but the islands became a British colony in 1783. The Bahamas became an independent country on July 10, 1973.
The government is modeled after the British government. There is a queen, but the prime minister and Parliament run the country. The capital is Nassau. Nassau is located on New Providence Island, where 2/3 of the population lives. The official language of The Bahamas is English, but some people from Haiti speak a French dialect called Creole.
The Bahamas makes most of its money from tourism. Americans make up 80% of tourists to The Bahamas. Banking is another important part of The Bahamas' economy. Until the 1930s, sponge fishing was the main part of the economy. The Bahamas has over 60 airports, which are mostly used to travel between islands.
Sources: The World Factbook prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency; Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
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