Date of independence, or formation date: 1973
Date when current borders were established: 1973
National day: July 10
Vehicle country identifying code: BS
Time zone (hours plus or minus from GMT): -5
International telephone dialling code: +1242
Internet country identifying code: .bs

The Bahamas, though often bracketed with Caribbean countries, actually lies northeast of Cuba in the western Atlantic. The archipelago has 700 islands and 2400 cays: just 30 are inhabited. Long established as a tourist resort, the Bahamas today is also a major offshore financial center. It has one of the world's largest open-registry fleets; only a tiny fraction is owned by Bahamian nationals.

From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004