Bahamas Country & Tourist Information

Location
Caribbean, southeast of Florida.

Area
13,939 sq km (5382 sq miles).

Population
321,000 (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
23 per sq km.

Capital
Nassau.
Population: 222,000 (UN estimate 2003).

Government
Constitutional monarchy. Gained independence in 1973.

Language
The official and national language is English.

Religion
The three main Christian denominations are Baptist, Anglican and Roman Catholic.

Time
GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
110 volts AC, 60Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Perry Christie since 2002.

Head of State
HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor-General Arthur D Hanna since 2006.

Telephone
Country code: 1 242. The state telephone company, BaTelCo, offers radio telephones, which allow callers to contact ships at sea. Phone cards can be purchased at discounted rates for international calls.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with a few international mobile phone companies. Coverage is average. Handsets can be hired locally.

Internet
Many hotels have Internet access and there are plenty of Internet cafes, as well as a few Wi-Fi hotspots.

Media
• The government operates a radio network and also the only television service on the island. There are, however, some private radio stations.
• The press is mostly privately owned and a wide variety of views is freely permitted, including criticism of the government.


Post
Postal service to Europe takes up to 10 days.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 and Sat 0900-1230.

Press
• The four daily newspapers are the The Bahamas Journal, Freeport News, The Nassau Guardian, and The Tribune.
• The Punch is published twice a week.
• Both Bahamas Tourist News and What’s On Magazine are printed once a month.
• International newspapers are available.

Radio
• Private and commercial stations include Love 97 FM and 100 Jamz. ZNS Bahamas, run by BCB, oversees Inspiration 1240, Northern Service, Power 104.5 and Radio Bahamas.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
6 Apr Good Friday.
9 Apr Easter Monday.
28 May Whit Monday.
1 Jun Labor Day.
10 Jul Independence Day.
6 Aug Emancipation Day.
12 Oct National Heroes’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Good Friday.
24 Mar Easter Monday.
12 May Whit Monday.
6 Jun Labor Day.
10 Jul Independence Day.
4 Aug Emancipation Day.
12 Oct National Heroes’ Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Boxing Day.

Contact Information:

Bahamas High Commission in the UK
10 Chesterfield Street, London W1J 5JL, UK
Tel: (020) 7408 4488 or 7659 0829 (visa enquiries).
Website: www.bahamas.co.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1730.

Bahamas Tourist Office in the UK
10 Chesterfield Street, London W1J 5JL, UK
Tel: (020) 7355 0800.
Website: www.bahamas.co.uk

Embassy of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in the USA
2220 Massachussetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 319 2660.
E-mail: bahemb@aol.com

Bahamas Tourist Office in the USA
60 East 42nd Street, Suite 1850, New York, NY 10165, USA
Tel: (212) 758 2777.
Website: www.bahamas.com

Caribbean Tourism Organization in the UK
22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website: www.doitcaribbean.com


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