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About the Bahamas |
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| [ About the Bahamas ] | ||
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An
archipelago of 700 islands and islets, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
attracts about 4 millions of tourists each year. They are mostly cruise
shop passengers staying only a few hours in town. They describe
specially Nassau as being dirty and many are dispappointed. They claim
bad attitudes, poor service and high prices. Official surveys reveal
that a large amount of returning visitors would not recommend the
bahamas for vacation to their family members or friends. A
former British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth, the country
has become a major international provider of offshore financial services,
and has one of the world's largest open-registry shipping fleets. Most
of the people who live in The Bahamas are predominantly of West African
descent. Their ancestors were slaves brought to the islands to work the
cotton plantations until 1834, when Britain abolished slavery in all of
its territories. Most white residents of are descendants of the first
English settlers, who emigrated from Bermuda in 1647, and many are
related to the Loyalists who fled the southern United States during the
American Revolution. Many white residents left the country when The
Bahamas became independant in 1993. Do
not hire people from the street as guides, as all guides must be
registered with the Tourist Board. Use common sense and do not flash
jewelry or cash – specially not during Junkanoo Parade.
Tourists claim dishonest smile and agressive attitudes of
taxi drivers and downtown merchants. OVERVIEW The
Bahamas has a per capita income that is among the world's top 30, but
there are great imbalances in the distribution of wealth, most of which
is concentrated in the country's main commercial and tourist centres.
The Bahamas is a very expensive tourist destination because of shipping
and high duties. But Travelers claim that even items produced in The
Bahamas are unbearable expensive (the local beer Kalik is $34 a case for
instance). The
tremendous growth in the services sector of the economy has led to a
migration of people from fishing and farming villages to commercial
centres in New Providence Island, Grand Bahama and Great Abaco. This has
compounded the islands' dependence on tourism and banking. As
with other Caribbean countries, The Bahamas faces the challenge of
tackling drugs trafficking and illegal immigration. But after
cleaning-up its banking system the country has been removed from an
international list of countries which have questionable banking sectors.
Highlighting
the discrepancy between advertising statements in travel brochures and
the real dangers in vacation destinations, the U.S. Department of State
has issued 2003 a Travel Warning for Spring Breakers traveling to The
Bahamas. The US Embassy in Nassau explained that crime and drug
trafficking have increased to such a level that it is necessary to
officially inform secially younger tourists about the bad conditions
they may encounter. Do
not hire people from the street as guides, as all guides must be
registered with the Tourist Board. Use common sense and do not flash
jewelry or cash – specially not during Junkanoo Parade.
Tourists claim dishonest smile and agressive attitudes of
taxidrivers and downtown merchants. Disappointed
investors criticize that the quality of services offered by some
Bahamian service agencies, particularily attorneys, doesn't always live
up to the client's quality and service expectations. The
Bahamas has become a destination for illegal migrants from its
strife-torn Caribbean neighbour, Haiti. Some 60,000 Haitians are thought
to be living illegally in the country . FACTS Population:
314,000
(UN, 2003) LEADERS Head
of State: Queen
Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Dame Ivy Dumont Prime
minister: Perry
Christie Perry
Christie, a British-trained lawyer, is the country's third prime
minister since independence from Britain in 1973. His
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won 29 seats in the 40-seat parliament.
He took office in May 2002 at the age of 58. The
PLP has been the dominant party in Bahamian politics since independence,
winning every election from 1973 through to the 1992 poll when voters
rejected the late Sir Lynden Pindling and a government accused of
corruption and drug trafficking. MEDIA The
government ownes a radio network and the islands' only television
service. There is a handful of private radio stations. The
islands' privately-owned press carry a variety of views, including
criticism of the government. The
press Television Radio |
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| About the Bahamas - General information on The Commonwealth of The Bahamas | ||
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