The Bahamas

Within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic, The Bahamas is made up of nearly 700 coral islands.

Capital is Nassau.

English is the official language and locals have a Bahamian dialect.

Population, 403,586. Size, 13,880 km^2.

The official currency is the Bahamian Dollar.

The top religion is Protestant, then Roman Catholic, and other Christian religions.

Major cities include Lucaya, Freeport, West End , and Coopers Town.

National dish in Conch. Principal crops include Onions, Okra, Tomatoes, Oranges, Grapefruit, Cucumbers, Sugar Cane, Lemons, Limes, and Sweet Potatoes.

Summers in The Bahamas are long and hot. Winters are muggy and dry. The hottest month of the year is August with an average high of 88 degrees. The terrain is long and flat with some low rounded hills.

The name comes from the Spanish term, "baja mar", meaning shallow sea. The Bahamas has the third highest GDP per capita in the Western hemisphere. There is no sales or income tax in the country. The Bahamas is one of the only places in the world where you can find pink sand beaches. The world's third largest wine cellar is in Nassau. Only 30 of the 700 islands are inhabited. During the 1980s, almost 90% of cocaine entering the United States came through The Bahamas. The flamingo is the national bird.