GENERAL
Official name of the state
Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Capital
Nassau.
Geography
According to a2zgov, the Bahamas consist of 700 small, flat islands (cays). The archipelago extends approximately 970 km southeast of Florida. The fertile soil layer is thin. However, cultivation on the inhabited islands has improved the soil. On the other, the landscape consists partly of large coniferous forests, rocky and barren land, swamps and, above all, wonderful sandy beaches. The Bahamas are divided into the small and large Bahamabank.
Government
Parliamentary monarchy (in the Commonwealth) since 1973. 1973 constitution. Bicameral parliament: 41-member House of Representatives and the Senate with 16 appointed members. Independent since 1973 (former British colony).
Head of state
Queen Elizabeth II, since 1952, represented by the Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, since July 2014.
Head of government
Prime Minister Perry Christie, since May 2012.
Electricity
120 V, 60 Hz. Adapter for American flat sockets required.
Time zone
Eastern Standard Time: CET -6 (CET -5 from March 12 to November 5, 2017)
TRAVEL WARNING
Overview Bahamas
Security
advice from the Foreign Office: As of: October 13, 2016
Unchanged valid since: October 11, 2016
Current information
Hurricane “Matthew” wreaked havoc on the infrastructure on October 6, 2016, particularly on the main island of New Providence, but also on some of the smaller islands. The power and telephone networks are affected. The international airport in Nassau has since resumed operations.
Country-specific safety information
There is currently no country-specific safety notice for the Bahamas.
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is English, Creole is also spoken.
Idioms
- Goodbye = goodbye
- Eight = Eight
- Eighty = eighty
- Exit = Exit
- Beer = beer
- Please = Please
- Thank you = Thank you
- Tuesday = Tuesday
- Doctor = Doctor
- Thursday = Thursday
- Three = three
- Thirty = Thirty
- Entrance = Entrance
- One hundred = one hundred
- One = One
- One thousand = one thousand
- Friday = Friday
- Five = Five
- Fifty = Fifty
- Danger = danger
- Closed = closed
- Hello = Hello
- Today = Today
- Hotel = hotel
- I feel sick = I feel ill
- I don’t understand = I don’t understand
- Yes = Yes
- My name is?? = My name is??
- I’m fine. = I’m very well.
- Wednesday = Wednesday
- Monday = Monday
- Tomorrow = Tomorrow
- No = no
- Nine = nine
- Ninety = ninety
- Open = open
- Restaurant = restaurant
- Saturday = Saturday
- Six = Six
- Sixty = sixty
- Seven = Seven
- Seventy = Seventy
- Sunday = Sunday
- Menu = menu
- Do you speak German / English? = Do you speak German / English?
- Toilets = toilets
- Four = four
- Forty = Forty
- Wine = Wine
- How are you? = How are you?
- How much is it? = How much does it cost?
- Where is??? = Where is???
- Ten = ten
- Twenty = twenty
- Two = Two
CULTURE
Religion
35.4% Baptists; 15.1% Anglicans; 13.5% Roman Catholic Church. Religious minorities include Jews, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Methodists, Presbyterians, Seventh-day Adventists, and Muslims.
Social rules of conduct
General: The Bahamians lead a rather quiet life and are known for their hospitality. African culture and music are omnipresent, the English influence from the colonial era is just as unmistakable.
Manners: The usual forms of courtesy should be observed. You shake hands in greeting. If you are invited to a private house, the host will be happy to receive a small gift. Above all, you should behave respectfully towards older people. Value is placed on punctuality. People should be asked before they are photographed.
Clothing: Well-groomed casual clothing is common. In the evening, for dancing, in restaurants or in the casinos in Nassau or Freeport, many visitors are dressed more elegantly. People also dress more elegantly in the holiday resorts outside the big cities. Gentlemen should wear a jacket in better hotels, restaurants or in the casino. In remote areas, the dress code is a little more relaxed. You should have a light jacket or a thin sweater in your luggage, as air-conditioned rooms are usually quite cool. Swimwear belongs on the beach or the pool and is rejected in the cities.
Smoking: In principle, it can be used anywhere. However, attention should be paid to non-smoking areas in hotels, restaurants or public facilities.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Subtropical climate. There are pleasant, almost constant temperatures all year round, due to the colder air systems of the American continent. The cooler season lasts from September to May with temperatures of 21-24 ° C. At night the temperature drops by around 5 ° C. Average temperatures from June to August are 27-29 ° C. Hurricane season is June through November.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +1 Area (sqkm) 13939 Population 324,597 Population density (per sqkm) 23 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 911