Bahamas Real Estate

The Islands of the Bahamas is an independent country is currently a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Consisting of two thousand cays and seven hundred islands, the English-speaking country forms an archipelago. The Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida and north of Cuba and the Caribbean.

The Islands of Bahamas has a long history starting from its early inhabitants in the 7th century, up to the time Columbus made contact with the inhabitants in the late 15th century. It was in 1717 that The Bahamas became a British crown colony. Sicty-six years later, American Loyalists and their slaves migrated to the Bahamas from such places as New York, Florida and the Carolinas to help British captives in the islands, and on August 1, 1834, slavery was abolished. This abolishment led to many slaves in the US to escape to the Bahamas to seek freedom. The British intended the island to be self-governing in 1964, and in 1973, the Bahamas became independent but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.

It is unclear where the name "Bahamas" came, but it might have been derived from the Spanish baja mar, or literally shallow seas. There are others who say the name comes from the ancient Lucayans, who referred to the Grand Bahama Island as ba-ha-ma, meaning, large-upper-middle land.

The Bahamian economy has been developing ever since the 1950s. The country now enjoys the third highest per capita income along the hemisphere, and is second only to the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. Even with financial services and tourism which give the country the bulk of its income, the Bahamas continues to face problems in education, health care, drugs, illegal immigration and prison and correctional facilities. The countries officials have been considering industrial and agricultural development as alternative sources for income.

Progress in the country is not uniform, and the most developed islands are the Grand Bahama and New Providence, causing a diaspora of Bahamians to these areas. Aside from over dependence on tourism, the Bahamas also experiences structural unemployment, because most industrial businesses are capital intensive.

Politically, the Bahamas draws from Queen Elizabeth II's representative, the Bahamian Governor General. The Prime Minister heads the political party with the most seats in the House of Congress.

The Bahamian constitution protects the rights of its citizens to speech, press, worship, movement and association. The Bahamas is a member of the Caribbean Community, although it geographically separated from the area. According to a 1953 census, the populace is composed of 85% Blacks, 12% Whites, and 3% Asian and Hispanic.

The culture of the Bahamas is a mix of African and European influences. A rhythmic musical form called the Junkanoo is a very popular art among its citizens. Because the Bahamas is a highly religious country, it offers more places of worship than most countries in the world. Over 80% of the citizens are Anglican Christian, among which a third are Baptists. A few people practice religion similar to Voodoo, although many of the citizens are strongly against it.

Sale and rent of commercial and private properties are available through many newer and old established real estate agencies.