Bahamas

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies. The Bahamas occupies 97% of the land area of the Lucayan Archipelago, and is home to 88% of the population. The island state is made up of more than 3,000 islands, bays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Nassau, on the island of New Providence. According to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Bahamas cover 470 000 km2 of oceanic territory. For centuries, the Bahamas were inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taíno people. Christopher Columbus was the first European to set eyes on the islands and first landed in the 'New World' in 1492, when he landed on the island of San Salvador. The Bahamas were formed about 200 million years ago, when Pangea began to break up. Today, it exists as an archipelago of more than 700 islands and bays, fringed by various coral reefs. Animals in the Bahamas face particular challenges as human development causes the loss of their habitat. The official national animal of the Bahamas is the flamingo. There are around 50 000 flamingos on Inagua Island. Many species of Bahamian wildlife, including birds, can be spotted, making bird watching tours very popular. The Bahamas is home to the Pig Paradise, a small island in the Exuma archipelago. Piglets swim in the turquoise waters of Big Major Cay beach, visited by many tourists. Legend has it that the sailors left some pigs behind in the hope of having food when they returned. But the sailors never returned, and the pigs are having a great time.