Are you thinking about what your next destination will be? Maybe you think of a place with the smell of the sea, spectacular weather and a good story to tell. We have the perfect place for you! With all its splendor, we tell you the most important curiosities of the Bahamas. This tropical paradise has a lot to offer and at Supercurioso we want to encourage you to visit it, discover some of the curious facts of the Bahamas that will leave you wanting to know it.
20 Curiosities of the Bahamas that will surprise you
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, better known as the Bahamas, is a small country made up of islands that is located in the Caribbean. The clear, warm waters and white-sand beaches, along with its proximity to the United States, make the Bahamas a top tourist destinationjoin us to know some of their curious facts.
1. Location and geography
To start our list of curiosities about the Bahamas, we must tell you that this archipelago contains the largest deep-water tropical zone in the western Atlantic. The Bahamas It is made up of more than 700 islands of which only 24 are inhabited. Its capital is nassau and is on the island of New Providence.
2. The arrival of Columbus in America
Historically, the Bahamas was inhabited by the “Lucayos” or “Arawak Indians” of the Taíno ethnic group, these islands They were one of the first places Christopher Columbus reached on his first voyage in 1492. Between 1513 and 1648 it was colonized by the Spanish, but from 1718 it became a British colony. It became independent from the United Kingdom in 1973 although it continues to belong to the Commonwealth, the British Commonwealth of Nations.
3. A rich country
The Bahamas has a relatively small but rich economy. If you look at per capita income, Bahamas is one of the richest countries in North America, after Canada and the USA. Its economy is based mainly on tourism and offshore financial activities. In turn, the Bahamas faces challenges in combating drug trafficking and illegal immigration. This is one of the most controversial fun facts about the Bahamas.
4. Your name
The name Bahamas seems to come from the Spanish expression “bajamar”, since many of its islets can only be seen at low tide. Another curious fact about the Bahamas is that its population is made up mostly of descendants of slaves who were brought to the islands after the American War of Independence. Slavery was abolished in the Bahamas in 1834..
5. Land of Pirates
The first Royal Governor, a former pirate named Woodes Rogers, brought law and order to the Bahamas in 1718, for centuries and due to its geography, the Bahamas have formed a veritable labyrinth of islands. These served as shelter and hideout of pirates and buccaneers, one of the historical curiosities of the Bahamas. They were especially used by the English, who lived off the assault of ships that made the “Galleon Route”.
6. The flag of the Bahamas
Among all the flags in the world, the flag of the Bahamas It is made up of a black triangle next to the mast that is superimposed on three horizontal stripes. The first and third in aquamarine and the central one in gold. The triangle represents the people of the Bahamas, their vigor and their social cohesion.. The aquamarine and gold stripes are water and sun; the country’s main source of wealth.
7. The Wars
Among the curiosities of the Bahamas we must mention its important role in some of the most important wars in the world. During the Civil War, the Bahamas prospered as a blockade center for the Confederates. After World War I, the islands served as a base for American rum dealers, and In World War II, the Allies focused their flight training and submarine operations in the Caribbean in the Bahamas..
8. Natural disasters
The worst hurricanes are one of the biggest scourges of the islands, a circumstance that is repeated in all the Antilles. The most damaging have been Andrew in 1992, Floyd in 1999, Frances in 2004 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Floyd and the fear of travelers, there was a large decline in tourism.
9. Self-government
The Bahamians achieved self-government through a series of constitutional and political steps, achieving internal self-government in 1964 and full independence within the commonwealth in 1973. For decades before independence, the United Bahamian Party ruled under the United Kingdom. Faced with the discontent of the government, the Bahamians formed the opposition, the Progressive Liberal Party, which in 1967 took control of the islands.
10. Language
One of the curiosities of countries will always be their language, in the Bahamas the language spoken by the almost 400,000 inhabitants of the Bahamas is Englishalthough in a dialect variant known as “Patois”.
11. Your own carnival
Another of the curiosities of the Bahamas are parades called “junkanoo”. They are celebrated at Christmas, New Year and other designated dates. They are very showy and colorful. In them they parade to the rhythm of music in artistic dances through the streets of various cities and especially in the capital Nassau, it is an authentic carnival!
12. A very flat country
The geography of the Bahamas is very particular, The maximum height is Mount Alvernia, which is located on Cat Island and has a height of 63 meters above sea level.. At the top there is a hermitage. If you want to tour the island you can rent a car, but you have to take into account that you drive on the left. However, one of the curiosities of the Bahamas is that many of the vehicles are designed to drive on the right and are left-hand drive.
13. Security issues
In the 1980s, the Bahamas’ reputation as a tourist paradise was tarnished by rising crime and reports that the islands were increasingly serving as cover for drug trafficking. After the 2000s this was stabilized by public policies to attack this front. Now, visiting the Bahamas is going to paradise on earth.
14. A bigger country
Continuing with our list of fun facts about the Bahamas, you will be surprised to know that this country should be bigger. The Bahamas comprises most but not all of the islands in the archipelago. When it gained independence from the United Kingdom, part of the islands in the Lucayan Archipelago remained British territory, such as the Turks and Caicos Islands.
15. Haute cuisine
Thanks to its outstanding tourism development, the typical Bahamian food has had a permanent evolution in its ingredients and preparation. This has made it a highly recognized food worldwide; Its main dishes are usually associated with seafood such as lobster, conch or baked crab.
16. National sport
The Bahamas’ national and most popular sport is cricket, although all water sports are also practiced and its national beach soccer team is one of the best in the world. If you are a sports lover, this is one more reason to visit the Bahamas.
17. Religion and worship
The most practiced religion in the country is Christianity, however, one of the curiosities of the Bahamas is that it has various cults that stem from ancient African traditions. Although these cults were not practiced by the natives who inhabited the islands, heObeah folk magic derived from West Africa is currently practicedthis is an illegal practice and therefore is prosecuted by law.
18.Atlantis Paradise
Located in Nassau, the Atlantis Paradise Island is a major resort hotel in the Bahamas. One of the curiosities is that it employs 6,000 Bahamian residents to work on it. For this reason, it is considered an important employer nationwide..
19. The beaches of paradise
Bahamas beaches are famous for their perfection, the turquoise of the water comes from the white calcium carbonate sand and the color of the light when it reflects off the bottom. The water around the Bahamas is saturated with carbonate that often precipitates out of the water.
20. Underwater caves
To complete our list of curious facts about the Bahamas, we tell you that the longest underwater cave system in the world is located in Lucayan National Parkon the island of Grand Bahama.
Have these interesting curiosities of the Bahamas surprised you? Do not miss some curiosities of America by country. They will surely excite you!
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What do you think about the curiosities of Guatemala? Do you want to know the most surprising side of other American countries, such as Venezuela, Mexico, Canada…? You’re lucky! In the following list you will discover more curiosities of America, distributed by country, that will fascinate you. Do not miss it!
We are in a next super curious article!