The Bahamas Researched via: Student Name: Nadia Russell Date: June 8 th, 2010

Where is Bahamas located? It is located at the north-east of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and the Caribbean Sea, northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States of America (nearest to the state of Florida)

Flag, Motto, Anthem: Bahamas motto is Forward, Upward, Onward Together

History: Nassau was formerly known as Charles Town; it was burned to the ground by the Spanish in 1684, but later rebuilt and renamed Nassau in 1695 in honour of the Dutch prince who became William III of England and Ireland from the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau.[2] In 1703 Spanish and French allied forces briefly occupied Nassau. By 1713, the sparsely settled Bahamas had become a pirate haven for pirate chieftains and Benjamin Hornigold proclaimed Nassau a pirate republic, establishing themselves as "governors", and were joined by Charles Vane, Calico Jack Rackham, and Edward Teach, the infamous "Blackbeard", along with women pirates such as Anne Bonny and Mary Read. In 1718, the British sought to regain control of the islands and appointed Captain Woodes Rogers as Royal governor. He successfully clamped down on the pirates, reformed the civil administration and restored commerce. Rogers cleaned up Nassau and rebuilt the fort, even going as far to use his own money to try to overcome problems. In 1720 the French made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Nassau.

Economy: A British colony from 1717, the Bahamas was granted self-government by the British in 1964 and full independence in A parliamentary democracy and a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, the country's traditions and its legal system closely resemble those of Great Britain. The British monarch is the chief of state and is represented in the islands by an appointed governor general. The head of the government is an elected prime minister, who presides over a bicameral (2-chamber) legislature consisting of the House of Assembly and the Senate. The House has 40 elected members who serve 5-year terms and the Senate consists of 16 members, also serving for 5 years, appointed by the governor general after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.

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What do you like the most about Bahamas? It’s beautiful and has nice beaches.