Introduction
CE5
Bahamas, the
[key], officially Commonwealth of the Bahamas, independent nation (2020
est. pop. 393,248), 4,403 sq mi (11,404 sq km), in the Atlantic Ocean,
consisting of some 700 islands and islets and about 2,400 cays, beginning
c.50 mi (80 km) off SE Florida and extending c.600 mi (970 km) SE almost to
Haiti. The country does not include the Turks and Caicos Islands, to the
southeast, which, although geographically part of the archipelago, have been
separately administered by Great Britain since 1848. The capital and
principal city is Nassau, on New
Providence island. Other chief islands are known as “out
islands” or “family islands.”
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Caribbean Political Geography
