Bahamas

Bahamas is an island country in North America with its capital in Nassau and about 403,000 people. The Bahamas is known for its clear shallow waters and for Junkanoo, a street parade of music and costume held at Christmas and New Year.

Bahamas in purple, with Nassau marked. Outline from the same detailed coastlines the games use.

Capital: Nassau
Continent: North America
Population (2025): 403,000
Land area: 10,010 km² (3,865 sq mi)
Island country: Yes, all on islands

Find it among 23 North America countries →Explore Bahamas on the map Name difficult islands

The story of Bahamas

Where the name comes from

The Bahamas probably comes from Bahama, the Lucayan name of Grand Bahama; the familiar Spanish baja mar, “shallow sea”, explanation is disputed.

First people

The Lucayans, a Taíno people, settled the islands from about AD 800.¹

Known for

The Bahamas is known for its clear shallow waters and for Junkanoo, a street parade of music and costume held at Christmas and New Year.²

Outside contact

After Spain arrived in 1492, the Lucayans were enslaved and taken away. British settlement followed, and after the American Revolution, Loyalists moved here with enslaved Africans, shaping today’s Afro-Bahamian society.^3,4,5