The Governor General

His Excellency
Sir Arthur Foulkes

Governor-General

The Office of Governor-General
The Government House
Government Hill
P.O. Box N-8301
Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas
Ph: (242)-322-875-7 and (242)-356-0254
Fax: (242)-322-4659

The Prime Minister

The Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham
Minister of Finance
Member of Parliament (FNM)

The Right Honourable Hubert Alexander Ingraham was sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of The Bahamas by His Excellency the Hon. Arthur D. Hanna Governor-General on May 4, 2007, following the May 02 general election in which the Free National Movement (FNM) party triumphed over the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). Prime Minister Ingraham is also Minister of Finance.

Key Figures

Following the key figures of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Statistical data can be obtained from the Department of Statics of the Bahamas and the Department of Statistics at The Central Bank of the Bahamas

The Flag of the Bahamas

The design of the Bahamian flag is a black equilateral triangle against the mast superimposed on a horizontal background made up of two colours on three equal stripes, aquamarine, gold and aquamarine.
Black,on the left, represents the vigour and force of a united people; the triangle pointing represents the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people to develop and process the rich resources of land and sea, symbolised by gold and aquamarine, respectively.

The flag was adopted on July 10, 1973

The Coat of Arms

The Bahamas’ coat of arms is a composition of things indigenous to these islands, while the motto “Forward Upward Onward Together” heralds to the direction and manner in which the Bahamian nation should move.

The crest of the arms, a light pink conch shell, symbolises the marine life of The Bahamas. The top of the crest is composed of wavy green palm fronds, symbolic of the natural vegetation.

The Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus, appears on the shield of the coat of arms. Wavy barrulets of blue symbolise the waters of The Bahamas.

The shield is charged with a resplendent or radiant sun to signify the world-famous balmy resort climate, and it also connotes the bright future of these islands.

A flamingo, the national bird, and a silvery blue marlin support the shield. The national motto is draped across the base of the coat of arms.

The Pledge of Allegiance

I Pledge my allegiance to the flag
and to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
For which it stands,
one people united in love and service.

written by Rev. Philip Rahming

National Symbols

National Fish --The Blue Marlin

The blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is the majestic fish that is found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The blue marlin, a relative of the sailfish and swordfish, is easily recognizable for the long “sword” or spike of its upper jaw, its high and pointed dorsal fin, and pointed anal fin.

The marlin’s back is cobalt blue and its flanks and underbelly are silvery white. There may be light-blue or lavender vertical stripes on the sides as well.

National Bird --The Flamingo

The scarlet, long-legged flamingoes are found in three major nesting groups in the West Indian region, Great Inagua being one of them (the others are in Yucatan, Mexico, and Bonaire Island in the Netherlands Antilles.) The more than 50,000 birds inhabiting 287 square miles of Inagua wilderness are protected by wardens employed by the Society for the Protection of the Flamingo in The Bahamas through the Bahamas National Trust, a statutory body set up in 1959.

The Roseate or West Indian flamingoes (Phoenicopterus ruber) were formerly also bred in Abaco, Andros, Rum Cay, the Exuma Cays, Long Island, Ragged Cays, Acklins, Mayaguana, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

National Tree --The Ligum Vitae

The Lignum vitae, meaning tree of life, is from the genus Guaicum (caltrop family or Zygophyllaceae) and is the National Tree of The Bahamas.

The extremely hard and heavy self-lubricating wood is especially adapted for bearings or bushings of propeller shafts on steamships, and also serves for bearings in steel mills, for bowling balls, and pulleys.

Apart from its industrial uses, the bark of the tree is used for medicinal purposes, and many Bahamians throughout the islands steep the bark and drink it as a tonic for creating energy as an aphrodisiac

National Flower --The Yellow Elder

This flower blooms between October and December on a tree that may grow as high as 20 feet. The evergreen stands out because of its clusters of brilliant yellow, bell-shaped blossoms.

They are about an inch across and two inches long, with red stripes lightly etched in the corolla. The little bells are held in a five-point calyx, and there are nine to 13 leaflets composing the odd pinnate leaf. Just before the blooms flare open, bag-like buds pop noisily if squeezed

The National Anthem

March On, Bahamaland

Lift up your head
to the rising sun, Bahamaland;
March on to glory
your bright banners waving high.

See how the world
marks the manner of your bearing!
Pledge to excel
through love and unity.

Pressing onward,
march together
to a common loftier goal;
Steady sunward,
tho' the weather hide
the wide and treachrous shoal.

Lift up your head
to the rising sun, Bahamaland,
'Til the road you've trod
lead unto your God,
March On, Bahamaland.

Composed by Timothy Gibson, it was adopted in 1973

The National Archives

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The Historical Society

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Lucayan & Arawak Indians

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1492 Discovery by Columbus

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Pirates in the Bahamas

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The British Empire

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The Loyalists

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Emancipation

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Independence

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The Government

The Bahamas achieved independence from Britain July 10, 1973, and is now a fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth and a member of the United Nations, the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States.

With a democratic tradition of more than 282 years, The Bahamas takes pride in its enduring and enviable foundation of political and social stability. The Bahamas has maintained the fundamentals of its political heritage while exercising the legislative freedom and integrity resulting from its autonomy.

The Government is committed to the growth, vibrancy and progress of the nation and embraces legislative initiatives that create and welcome investment in strategic areas of the economy and the country. The legal system of The Bahamas, modeled on the British system, enjoys complete independence from the political process.

The multi-tiered Judicial System includes the Magistrates Court, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. The final appellate court is Her Majesty's Privy Council in London, England.