SEPT 7 A QUICK PRIMER ON THE BAHAMAS

SEPT 7  A QUICK PRIMER ON THE BAHAMAS

The horrifying images of the destruction from Hurricane Dorian have been heart wrenching to see. Entire communities lay ruined and flooded. Yet many people are still iffy when it comes to specifics about the Bahamas. Is it in the Caribbean? Who owns the islands? So here's a quick DUNER BLOG Primer about the island nation:

THE BAHAMAS ARE CLOSE BY. Aside from Canada and Mexico, (the land borders) and a couple Russian islands in the Bering Strait, the Bahamas are the closest foreign nation to the USA. Bimini Island is a mere 946 miles from Miami. That's closer than Cuba or Bermuda. None of the Bahamanian islands are in the Caribbean Sea. Rather, they are found above Cuba in the Atlantic Ocean.

THE BAHAMAS ARE FLAT. There are over 700 individual islands in the Bahamas. Of these, only 30 are inhabited. All of the islands have ridiculously low elevations. In fact, the highest point in the entire nation is on Cat Island, at a mere 209 feet. This is the main reason why they are so vulnerable to Category 5 Hurricanes like Dorian.

COLUMBUS FIRST LANDED THERE. Americans celebrate October 12th as Columbus Day, yet aside from Puerto Rico, the sailor never actually reached anywhere in the modern-day USA. San Salvador is where he first came. The islands remained under Spanish control until 1648, when English colonists took over. For the next 325 years, the Bahamas were part of the massive British Empire.

THE ORIGINAL PIRATE OF THE CARIBBEAN. Disney based the flamboyant character Jack Sparrow after an actual person: Edward Teach. Better known as Blackbeard, he was a 17th century pirate who wrecked havoc on Floridian shipping lanes. Authorities could never find him, as he hid amongst the Bahama's 700 uninhabited islands.

THE BAHAMAS HAS AN AWESOME FLAG. Most Caribbean countries have colorful and vibrant national flags, and the Bahamas is no exception. It's been flown proudly since independence from the UK in 1973. Here's the breakdown: The gold is the sun. Aquamarine = ocean. The black triangle symbolizes strength. With a long history of slavery, 90% of the population is of African descent.

ATLANTIS PARADISE IS THERE. The Bahamas spans an enormous region. March Harbor and Abacos Islands took the brunt of Dorian. Parts of the capital city of Nassau were impacted, but are now back and open for business. This includes the Atlantis Paradise Resort. All four thousand rooms and suites are beckoning tourists back!

THE BAHAMAS ARE NOT IMPOVERISHED. While the images on the news paint a dreary picture of the nation, there is another side. For example: Sir Sean Connery's multi-million dollar estate survived. See, the Bahamas is home to a bevy of other millionaires as well. This, combined with tourism and offshore finance, means the nation boasts a GDP of $34,000. That's third in North America and #26 worldwide...just behind #25 Italy.

NOTE: 'The' is placed before a couple of countries: The Ukraine, The Sudan, The Lebanon and The Bahamas. Geography is a social science, and there is no reason why.