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In addition to the United States and Cuba, neighbors of the Bahamas include Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands; both are located to the southeast of the Bahamas. Although the total land area of the archipelago is 5,382 square miles, slightly larger than New Jersey and Connecticut combined, the islands are sprawled over an area of approximately 80,000 square miles.
The land on the Bahamas has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is oolitic limestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells. The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp, with low scrub covering much of the surface area.
Timber is found in abundance on four of the northern islands: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, and Andros. On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes. Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin. Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Andros Island, are found in the Bahamas.
The climate of The Bahamas is semitropical and has two seasons, summer and winter. During the summer, which extends from May through November, the climate is dominated by warm, moist tropical air masses moving north through the Caribbean and West Indies. Midsummer temperatures range from 70° F to 93° F with a relative humidity of 60 to 100 percent. In winter months, extending from December through April, the climate is affected by the movement of cold polar masses from North America. Temperatures during the winter months range from 59° F to 76° F.
Yearly rainfall averages 53 inches and is usually concentrated in the May-June and September-October periods. Rainfall often occurs in short, fairly intense showers accompanied by strong gusty winds, which are then followed by clear skies. It’s quite often to have rainfall on sunny days in The Bahamas.
Winds are predominantly easterly throughout the year but tend to become northeasterly from October to April and southeasterly from May to September. Although the hurricane season officially lasts from June to November, most hurricanes in the Bahamas occur between July and October.
Geographic coordinates: 24 15 N, 76 00 W
Area: total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 3,542 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain: long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m
Natural resources: salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 0.8% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 98.8% (2001)
Irrigated land: NA
Natural hazards: hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Environment - current issues: coral reef decay; solid waste disposal
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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