Places in The Bahamas Video

Tourism is a big part of the Bahamas' economy. Here are some places that make tourist want to go to the Bahamas.

Economic and Social Development

Agriculture:  Agriculture in the Bahamas is done on small plots throughout most of the islands and only about 1% of the land area is cultivated. The nature of the land restricts the possibility of farming, which is mainly a household industry. The main crops consist of vegetables such as onions, okra, and tomatoes. Okra and tomatoes are raised mainly for export. Insufficient production has compelled the import of some 80% of the islands’ food supply. Some of the steps the government has taken to expand and improve agriculture is reserving 450,000 acres entirely for farming and 20,000 acres of which were converted to fruit farming. The exporting of orange, grapefruit, and cucumber production occurs on Abaco. Agricultural products in 2004 included 55,500 tons of sugar cane, 13,000 tons of grapefruit, 8,700 tons of lemons and limes, 5,000 tons of tomatoes, and 880 tons of sweet potatoes.

 

 

Economy: The economy of the Bahamas is stable, having an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Steady growth in tourism revenues and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years. However, with the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of September 11, 2001, growth in these sectors declined in 2001-03. Financial services establish the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government passed new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed to improve those sectors. Overall growth prospects lie heavily on the wealth of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, being the source of more than 80% of the visitors. 

 

                                                                

 

   Transportation

                                   

 

 

By air: Nassau's Lynden Pindling International Airport is the largest airport in the Bahamas. Most major U.S. airlines, with the notable exception of Southwest, have flights to Nassau. The airport is not in the best condition but the occasional free drinks served on arrival, along with the live band serenading the Immigration hall help set the tone. No public transport is available at the airport, but there's a list of fixed taxi fares posted at the exit. It's about US$25 and 10 miles to most hotels in central Nassau.

 

By sea: Nassau is a popular dock of call for the many cruise ships plying the Bahamas. Up to seven cruise ships can dock at the Prince George Wharf Cruise Terminal nearby downtown Nassau. Water taxi and yacht charter companies, such as Bahamas Boat, offer a selection of private crewed charters, in and around Nassau for small groups and families. Water taxi service is an accessible substitute to a taxi to get to Paradise Island from downtown. It is picked up under the bridge and costs $6 round trip. The water taxi stops its service at 6PM.

 

Minibus: Minibuses, locally know as jitneys, work as the bus system of Nassau city and New Providence island. Jitneys are located on and adjacent of Bay Street. Other jitneys are found on Charlotte & Bay Streets. A bus will usually wait until it's full before departing. It can be difficult to learn the various routes. Many have the destinations painted on the bus, but there is no regular timing for the way they are ran because of the multiple companies and individuals. Journeys cost $1.25 per person, per ride. For a round trip, even if an individual is not getting off the bus for activities such as sightseeing, it is still considered as two rides. Payments are received by the driver when disembarking. No change is given, and there is no transfer credit for changing busses.

 

Geopolitical Framework

Government:
The Bahamas is an independent country and used to be a former British colony, now it’s a member of the Commonwealth Nations. The politics of the Bahamas is used within a basis of a parliamentary democracy.

 

Executive Branch: 

The head of the government is a Prime Minister. Political and legal customs are similar to those of the United Kingdom. With Queen Elizabeth II being the head of state, but the executive power is exercised by the cabinet. Queen Elizabeth II appoints representatives to be in charge of the duties she is responsible for as Queen of the Bahamas. The governors are responsible for appointing the Prime Minister as well as other government Ministers after consultations with the Prime Minister.

 

Legislative Branch:

The House of Assembly is made up of 38 members who are elected from individual supporters, for five-year terms. As under the Westminster system, the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time. The House of Assembly executes all major legislative functions. The Senate contains 16 members appointed by the governor-general, including nine on the advice of the prime minister, four on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and three on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the leader of the opposition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Atlantis

Atlantis: officially opened in 1998, Atlantis Paradise Island is a resort and waterpark located on Paradise Isalnd, just off the shore of Nassau. The resort was created by South African hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as well as Kerzner international limited. Atlantis is a popular place for tourist. About 80 percent of the people vacationing in Bahamas is from the United states.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cultural Coherence

 

Music: Bahamian culture is a mixture of African, European, and other cultures. Junkanoo Carnival is a large contributor to the music of the Bahamas. This type of music happens on December 26 and New Year’s Day. This tradition was first celebrated by an African named John Canoe. These celebrations consist of costumes made of crepe paper and powerful rhythms beaten on goatskin drums accompanied by rich brass bands and shaking cow bells. Bahamian music also includes other Caribbean forms such as Calypso, Trinidadian Soca and Jamaican Reggae. However, over the last thirty years, Bahamian culture has been highly influenced by United States music cultures, such as hip hop music.

Language: The dominant language in the Bahamas is English. However, a vast majority of the population speaks Bahamian Dialect, which is a dialect of English intermediate between standard English and Bahamian Creole. From island to island, there may be some differences in the way some words are pronounced, but in general, all is the same. The next most spoken language is Haitian Creole, spoken by the 30,000 to 60,000 Haitian migrants residing in the Bahamas.

Religion: The population of the Bahamas is 95 percent Christian of different varieties, primarily Baptist, Anglican, and catholic. Smaller groups consist of Jews, Baha’is, Muslims, Hindus, and Rastafarians. There are more churches per capita than there is in any other country.

Education: As of 2003, the literacy rate was 95.5 percent. Of the 210 primary and secondary schools, the government operates 158 of them. The college of the Bahamas was established in Nassau in 1974. It provides programs leading to bachelors and associates degrees.

 

 

Nassau, Bahamas for Day Trippers video

Population and Settlement

 

The First Settlement: Coming from the Caribbean, the first inhabitants of the Bahamas are known as the Lucayans, an Arawakan-speaking Taino people who arrived to the islands between the years 500 to 800. With an estimated population of 40,000 by the late 15^th century, the Lucayans were plentiful and prosperous. Most historians believe that they had an advanced political and social structure and lived in well-organized cities, but with the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, they were quickly dominated by the Spanish. As a result, little is known about them. Following those events, the island remained abandoned for another 130 years until a group from Barmuda known as The Company of Adventurers for the Plantation of the islands of Eleutheria, sailed to the Bahamas to found a colony.

Population: In the 1960’s, the population of the Bahamas was about 65,388. As the population of Nassau grew, so did its populated areas. Today the city leads the entire island. Nassau has a population of about 250,000 natives, which is about 70 percent of the entire population of the Bahamas. The population of the Bahamas is predominantly of African descent with an 87 percent of the total population. European descents make up 12 percent of the population, with the remaining 3 percent of Asian or Hispanic origin. The population is relatively young with 30 percent under the age of 15 and 6 percent over the age of 65.

Most people reside in Urban Areas, with two-thirds of the population living on the New Providence Island where Nassau is located. Many others live in or near Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. There are small settlements throughout the outer island called the Family Islands. In July 2000, the estimated population of the Bahamas was 294,982. With a high birth rate of 19.54 births per 1,000 people and a death rate of 6.81 per 1,000 people, it is estimated that by 2015 the Bahamas is expected to have a population of about 330,000.