Geography of the Bahamas

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The Bahamas from space

The Bahamas are a group of about 700 atolls and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited. The largest of the islands is Andros Island, located 120 miles south-east of Florida. The Bimini islands are to its northwest. To the North is the island of Grand Bahama, home to the second largest city in the country, Freeport, Bahamas. The island of Great Abaco is to its east. In the very south is the island of Great Inagua, the second largest island in the country. Other notable islands include Eleuthera Island, Cat Island, Bahamas, San Salvador Island, Acklins Island, Crooked Island, Bahamas, and Mayaguana . Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New Providence. The islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream.

The islands are surface projections of three oceanic banks, the Little Bahama Bank, the Great Bahama Bank and the westernmost Cay Sal Bank. The highest point is only sixty-three meters above sea level on Cat Island; the island of New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, reaches a maximum elevation of only thirty-seven meters. The land on the Bahamas has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is oolitic limestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells. The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp. Low scrub covers much of the surface area. Timber is found in abundance on four of the northern islands: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, and Andros. On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes. Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin. Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Andros Island, are found in the Bahamas.

1 Climate
2 Location
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Climate

The climate of the archipelago is semitropical and has two seasons, summer and winter. During the summer, which extends from May through November, the climate is dominated by warm, moist tropical air masses moving north through the Caribbean. Midsummer temperatures range from 21 °C to 34 °C with a relative humidity of 60 to 100%. In winter months, extending from December through April, the climate is affected by the movement of cold polar masses from North America. Temperatures during the winter months range from 15 °C to 24 °C.

Yearly rainfall averages 1320 millimeters and is usually concentrated in the May-June and September-October periods. Rainfall often occurs in short-lived, fairly intense showers accompanied by strong gusty winds, which are then followed by clear skies.

Winds are predominantly easterly throughout the year but tend to become northeasterly from October to April and southeasterly from May to September. These winds seldom exceed twenty-four kilometers per hour except during hurricane season. Although the hurricane season officially lasts from June to November, most hurricanes in the Bahamas occur between July and October; as of late 1987, the last one to strike was Hurricane David in September 1979. Damage was estimated at US$1.8 million and mainly affected agricultural products. The most intense twentieth-century hurricane to strike the Bahamas was in 1929; winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour were recorded. Many lives were lost, and there was extensive damage to buildings, homes, and boats.

[edit] Location

Caribbean, chain islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida

Geographic coordinates: 24°15′N, 76°00′W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 13,940 km²
land: 10,070 km²
water: 3,870 km² Area comparative

Australia comparative: 6 times larger than the Australian Capital Territory
Canada comparative: a little over twice the size of Prince Edward Island
United Kingdom comparative: slightly smaller than Northern Ireland
United States comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 3,542 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (370.4 km)
territorial sea: 12 nm (22.224 km)

Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream

Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m

Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 32%
other: 67% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage

Environment - current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island people

[edit] References

This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.
This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.