1. The Bahamas was the landing site of Christopher Columbus:
It is widely believed that Columbus’ first landfall in the new world was on the island of San Salvador. In 1986, National Geographic postulated that he landed on Samana Cay. Either way, the European land rush in the new world began in the Bahamas.
2. The Bahamas has the 3rd highest per capita GDP in the western hemisphere:
After the United States and Canada, the Bahamas is the third richest country in the new world. The largest industry in the country is tourism (which makes sense) and that accounts for a whopping 60% of the country’s income and half of all employment. The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1-to-1 with the U.S. dollar.
3. The Bahamas is made up of over 700 islands:
There are over 700 islands in the Bahamas. All of them are some sort of sand or limestone island. Of the 700 islands, only about 30 of them are inhabited. Of the almost 400,000 people who live in the country, about 70% of them live on the island of New Providence, the location of the capital, Nassau.
4. The name Bahamas comes from the Spanish term “baja mar”:
Baha mar means shallow sea in Spanish. As can be seen in any satellite image, the water around the Bahamas is indeed shallow—the entire region has a delightful turquoise color to it. The turquoise comes from the white calcium carbonate sand and the color of light when it’s reflected off the bottom and unabsorbed by the water. The water around the Bahamas is so saturated with calcium carbonate (the stuff that makes up sea shells) that it will often precipitate directly out of the water.
5. There is no sales or income tax in the Bahamas:
Because of its ship registries and heavy reliance on tourism, the Bahamas collects no tax on income or sales. Most of their revenues come from tariffs on imported goods and from tourists who visit the country.
