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Le Commonwealth des Bahamas est une nation anglophone indépendante située dans la Caraibe. Archipel de 700 îles and cailles, les Bahamas sont situés dans l'Océan Atlantique, à l'est de la Floride aux États-Unis, au nord de Cuba et du reste de la Caraibe, et à l'ouest de dépendance Britannique des Iles Turks et Caicos.
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| Devise nationale: Forward Upward Onward Together | ||||
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| Langue Officielle | Anglais | |||
| Capital | Nassau | |||
| Queen | Elizabeth II | |||
| Gouverneur general | Ivy Dumont | |||
| Premier ministre | Perry Christie | |||
| Superficie - Total - % eau | 155ème 13,940 km² 28% | |||
| Population
- Total (2002) - Densité | 168ème
300,529 22/km² | |||
| Independance
- Date | du Royaume-Uni
10 Juillet, 1973 | |||
| Monnaie | Dollar des Bahamas | |||
| Fuseau horaire | TU - 5 | |||
| Hymne National | March On, Bahamaland | |||
| Domaine Internet | .BS | |||
| Code téléphonique | 1 | |||
| Table of contents |
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2 Politique 3 Districts 4 Geographie 5 Economie 6 Demographie 7 Divers 8 Liens externes |
Christopher Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492 was on the island of San Salvador, possibly located in the Bahamas. He encountered friendly Arawak (also known as Lucayan) Amerindians and exchanged gifts with them. The British settled on the islands in the 17th century, and made it a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1973, the Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking and investment management.
Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of state and the Queen of the Bahamas, which has remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. She is represented in the Bahamas by a governor general, appointed by the monarch herself. Head of government is the prime minister, usually the leader of the winning party of the elections for the parliament. The Bahamian parliament consists of two chambers, the Senate (with 16 members) and the House of Assembly (40). Elections are held every 5 years.
Les Bahamas comprennent 21 districts:
Histoire
Article de fonds: Histoire des BahamasPolitique
Article de fonds: Politique aux BahamasDistricts
Article de fonds: Districts des Bahamas
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La plus grande ile des Bahamas est Andros, à l'ouest. The island of New Providence, east of Andros, is the site of the capital city Nassau and home to about two-thirds of the total population. Other important islands are Grand Bahama in the north and Inagua in the south.
Most of the islands - coral formations - are relatively flat, with some low rounded hills, the highest of which is Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island, at 63 m. The local climate is tropical, moderated by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, with occasional hurricanes or tropical storms.
The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs almost half of the archipelago's labour force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences have led to solid GDP growth in recent years.
Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the United States, the source of the majority of tourist visitors.
Most of the Bahamian population is black (85%); about 12% is white. The official language is English, spoken by virtually all inhabitants. Christianity is the main religion on the islands, with Baptists forming the largest denomination (about one third), followed by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.
Geographie
Article de fonds: Geographie des Bahamas
Economie
Article de fonds: Economie des BahamasDemographie
Article de fonds: Démographie des BahamasDivers
Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
