The Bahamas from space

The Bahamas are a group of about 700 atolls and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited. The largest of the islands is Andros Island, located 120 miles south-east of Florida. The Bimini islands are to its northwest. To the North is the island of Grand Bahama, home to the second largest city in the country, Freeport, Bahamas. The island of Great Abaco is to its east. In the very south is the island of Great Inagua, the second largest island in the country. Other notable islands include Eleuthera Island, Cat Island, Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Acklins Island, Crooked Island, Bahamas, and Mayaguana . Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New Providence. The islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 784 × 600 pixels Full resolution (3402 × 2602 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 784 × 600 pixels Full resolution (3402 × 2602 pixel, file size: 2. ... Atoll in the western Pacific Ocean Photo: www. ... A cay or key is a small, low island consisting mostly of sand or coral. ... Andros Island is the largest island of the Spanish landed on Andros Island in 1550 in search of slaves they managed to destroy all of the local indigenous Lucayan people on the island with the warring and disease that they brought with them. ... Bimini Island from space, June 1998 Map of the Bahamas with the Biminis positioned center left (click to enlarge). ... Grand Bahama from space, June 1998 Grand Bahama is one of the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, and the closest major island to the United States, lying just 55 mi (90 km) off the coast of the state of Florida. ... Freeport is a city and free trade zone on the island of Grand Bahama, located approximately 100 mi (160 km) east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale, South Florida and gives its name to a district of the Bahamas. ... The Abaco islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Gorda Cay, Elbow Cay, Man-o-War Cay, Strangers Cay, Umbrella Cay, Walkers Cay and Mores Island. ... Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua. ... Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km) east of Nassau. ... Cat Island is one of the central Bahamas, and one of its districts, and boasts the nations highest point. ... San Salvador Island, also known as Watling Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. ... Acklins is an island and district of the Bahamas. ... Categories: North Atlantic Islands | Bahamas | Districts of the Bahamas | Stub ... Mayaguana is the most easterly island and district of the Bahamas, and one of only two which retain their Arawak names. ... For other uses of Nassau, see Nassau (disambiguation). ... (This article is about the island in the Bahamas. ... For the album by Ocean Colour Scene, see North Atlantic Drift (album) The Gulf Stream is orange and yellow in this representation of water temperatures of the Atlantic. ...

The islands are surface projections of three oceanic banks, the Little Bahama Bank, the Great Bahama Bank and the westernmost Cay Sal Bank. The highest point is only sixty-three meters above sea level on Cat Island; the island of New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, reaches a maximum elevation of only thirty-seven meters. The land on the Bahamas has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is oolitic limestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells. The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp. Low scrub covers much of the surface area. Timber is found in abundance on four of the northern islands: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, and Andros. On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes. Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin. Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Andros Island, are found in the Bahamas.

Climate

The climate of the archipelago is semitropical and has two seasons, summer and winter. During the summer, which extends from May through November, the climate is dominated by warm, moist tropical air masses moving north through the Caribbean. Midsummer temperatures range from 21 °C to 34 °C with a relative humidity of 60 to 100%. In winter months, extending from December through April, the climate is affected by the movement of cold polar masses from North America. Temperatures during the winter months range from 15 °C to 24 °C.

Yearly rainfall averages 1320 millimeters and is usually concentrated in the May-June and September-October periods. Rainfall often occurs in short-lived, fairly intense showers accompanied by strong gusty winds, which are then followed by clear skies.

Winds are predominantly easterly throughout the year but tend to become northeasterly from October to April and southeasterly from May to September. These winds seldom exceed twenty-four kilometers per hour except during hurricane season. Although the hurricane season officially lasts from June to November, most hurricanes in the Bahamas occur between July and October; as of late 1987, the last one to strike was Hurricane David in September 1979. Damage was estimated at US$1.8 million and mainly affected agricultural products. The most intense twentieth-century hurricane to strike the Bahamas was in 1929; winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour were recorded. Many lives were lost, and there was extensive damage to buildings, homes, and boats.

Location

Caribbean, chain islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida West Indian redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ...

Geographic coordinates: 24°15′N, 76°00′W Map of the Bahamas. ...

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ...

Area:
total: 13,940 km²
land: 10,070 km²
water: 3,870 km² Area comparative

• Australia comparative: 6 times larger than the Australian Capital Territory
• Canada comparative: a little over twice the size of Prince Edward Island
• United Kingdom comparative: slightly smaller than Northern Ireland
• United States comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km Capital Canberra Government Const. ... Motto: Parva Sub Ingenti (Latin: The Small Protected By The Great) BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL YU NT NU Capital Charlottetown Largest city Charlottetown Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Barbara Oliver Hagerman - Premier Pat Binns (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 4... Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official languages English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, BSL, NISL, ISL Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Ian Paisley  - Deputy First Minister... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

Coastline: 3,542 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (370.4 km)
territorial sea: 12 nm (22.224 km)

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream For the album by Ocean Colour Scene, see North Atlantic Drift (album) The Gulf Stream is orange and yellow in this representation of water temperatures of the Atlantic. ...

Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills Extant Subclasses and Orders Alcyonaria    Alcyonacea    Helioporacea Zoantharia    Antipatharia    Corallimorpharia    Scleractinia    Zoanthidea [1][2]  See Anthozoa for details For other uses, see Coral (disambiguation). ...

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m Mount Alvernia is located on Cat Island, Bahamas and is the highest point in the country at 394 ft/120 m. ... Cat Island is one of the central Bahamas, and one of its districts, and boasts the nations highest point. ...

Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber A magnified crystal of a salt (halite/sodium chloride) Salt covering the floor of Bad Water in Death Valley, CA, the lowest point in the US. A salt, in chemistry, is any ionic compound composed of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is neutral... Aragonite Aragonite is a polymorph of the mineral calcite, both having the chemical composition CaCO3. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood...

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 67% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island people Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA), freely available for use by researchers. ... The U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1789 by a constitutional convention, sets down the basic framework of American government in its seven articles. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The World Factbook 2007 (government edtion) cover. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

See also

• Bahamas
• Islands of the Bahamas