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Language: English
Currency: Bahamian dollar
Temperature: Average 60-75°F winter, 78-90°F summer
Square Miles: 5,382 (land area)
Approx. Population: 300,000
The Bahamas encompass about 700 unique cays (pronounced "keys") and islands, attracting tourists for a variety of reasons, including fishing, diving, snorkeling, golf, and shopping. The islands lie only fifty miles off Florida's coast, making them a popular destination for many Americans.
The Bahamas were inhabited by Lucayan Indians when Christopher Columbus visited sighted them in 1492, but the islands were quickly depopulated by slave traders and they were uninhabited when English settlers arrived in 1647. For many years, the islands of the Bahamas sheltered pirates, privateers, and other lawless elements. It was only about 50 years ago, when tourists began to arrive, that the Bahamas began to really prosper.
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