The Bahamas is an archipelago of some 700 islands and 2,400 cays scattered across 100,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean, beginning just 50 miles east of Florida and stretching south toward Cuba and Haiti. Only about 30 of those islands are inhabited, and the contrast between them is one of the country's great draws: Nassau offers casinos, cruise ships, and colonial architecture; the Exumas are a wilderness of sandbars and transparent water; Eleuthera has pink sand beaches and farm-to-table restaurants; Andros is the world's third-largest barrier reef with almost no tourists.
Tourism dominates the economy, which means most visitors see the islands at their most polished. But get off New Providence and you'll find a quieter Bahamas — fishing villages, hand-painted wooden houses, and mailboats that serve as the lifeline between the outer islands and Nassau.
The official language is English. The currency is the Bahamian dollar, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar; American cash is accepted everywhere. The country gained independence from Britain in 1973 and remains a member of the Commonwealth.
Nassau is the capital and by far the largest city, home to roughly 70% of the population. Freeport on Grand Bahama Island is the second city. Beyond these two, the country's remaining islands are collectively called the Family Islands or Out Islands — a useful label for everything from the Abacos in the north to Exumas in the center and the more remote southern islands.
