The Bahama islands are a cluster of 700 islands that reach over 100,000 square miles of ocean. The Bahamas stars just off the coast of Florida. The islands have 2,500 cays, with gorgeous beaches and resort communities, the islands of the Bahamas attract large amounts of tourists each year - contributing millions of dollars to the Bahamian economy. After gaining their independence from Britain in 1964, the Bahamas became self-governing and have operated as a Parliamentary Democracy ever since.http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/about

The Bahamas are a haven for scuba divers with a visibility of over 200 feet and one of the world's best barrier reefs. http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/about

Music is a big part of their culture with African rhythms, Caribbean Calypso, English folk songs and Bahamian Goombay traditional music which is a combination of African music with European colonial influences.

Bahamian cuisine is spicy and has a unqiue flavor to it. Seafood is the staple food on the islands. You can sample fresh conch, crabs, lobster, pigeon peas and rice that is mixed with spices, tomatoes and onions.

The beverage of choice is Kalik, Sands, Bahama Mama, Goombay Smash or a beer that are unique to the islands.

Learn about Bush Medicine which uses over 100 indigenous plants for medicinal purposes.

Enjoy a Junkanoo which is a parade that has been celebrated on in the Bahamas since the 16th or 17th century. The parade consists of brightly costumes Bahamians dancing to the music of cowbells, drums, horns and whistles. These days you may find up to 1000 people competing for cash prizes for the best music, best costume, best dancer, best banner and best overall group presentation. The Junkaroo used to be held only on New Years Day, Boxing Day and Independence Day but it now includes a parade that is held during the annual Junkaroo Summer Festival and the Just Rush competition. Some of the hotels hold a Junkaroo show just for their patrons.

At the Straw Market you will find some of the islands handmade hats, mats, baskets, woodcarvings and guava jellies.http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/local-customs

The weather in the Bahamas is warm year-round. The temperatures from September to May average 70 to 75 degrees fahrenheit. The remainder of the year the temperatures range from 80 to 90 degrees with high humidity. At night the temperature usually drops 5 to 7 degrees.http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/weatherclimate

For more information, see Bahamas Vacation, Bahamas Restaurants, Bahamas Tours and Bahamas Hotels.

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  Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

• Geographia.com: The Island of the Bahamas

• Wikipedia: Geography of The Bahamas

• Google Image Search: The Bahamas Maps

• World Atlas: Map of The Bahamas

• Travel.Resources For Attorneys: The Bahamas - Your Dream Vacation Destination

• Bahamas Community: Bahamas Community

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