Things To Know Before Travelling To Bahamas
If you’re traveling to or planning a vacation in the Bahamas you might be interested in knowing a little about the area.
About the Bahamas
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an independent English-speaking nation in the West Indies. Where in the world are they? The Bahamas are located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida in the US, north of Cuba and the Caribbean, and west of the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Bahamas are a group of about 700 islands in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited. That may sound like a large place but on a comparison basis, the Bahamas are only slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut.
Also Read: Why Everyone deserves a Bahamas Holiday!
The largest of the islands is Andros Island, located 120 miles south-east of Florida. The Bimini islands are to its northwest. To the North is the island of Grand Bahama, home to the second largest city in the country, Freeport, Bahamas.
The island of Great Abaco is to its east. In the very south is the island of Great Inagua, the second largest island in the country.
A Few Facts About Bahamas:
Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New Providence.
The islands have a subtropical climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream. Most people are ethnic Christians, and English is the official language.
The islands are surface projections of three oceanic banks, the Little Bahama Bank, the Great Bahama Bank and the westernmost Cay Sal Bank.
The highest point is only 2480 inches (just less than half a mile) above sea level on Cat Island; the island of New Providence, where the capital city of Nassau is located, reaches a maximum elevation of only 1,457 inches.
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. Low scrub covers 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 in the Bahamas is semitropical. They have only 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. Midsummer temperatures range from 70 to 93 F with a relative humidity of 60- 100%. 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 to 75 F.
Yearly rainfall averages 52 inches annually and is usually concentrated in the May-June and September-October periods. Rainfall often occurs in short-lived, fairly intense showers accompanied by strong gusty winds.
Winds are predominantly easterly throughout the year but tend to become northeasterly from October to April and southeasterly from May to September. These winds seldom exceed 15 mph per hour except during hurricane season.
Although the hurricane season officially lasts from June to November, most hurricanes in the Bahamas occur between July and October. The last hurricane to strike was Hurricane David in September 1979. Damage was estimated at US$1.8 million and mainly affected agricultural products. The most intense twentieth-century hurricane to strike the Bahamas was in 1929. Winds of up to 140 mph were recorded. Many lives were lost, and there was extensive damage to buildings, homes, and boats.
What to Know When Planning a Bahamas Family Vacation
It is not only adults and couples that can go to the Bahamas families can go too; in fact, although it is quite surprising to many, more families visit the Bahamas on a regular basis than any other group, and for incredibly good reason. There is so much fun able to be had in the Bahamas, and so many resorts that cater specifically to the families.
What to Know When Planning a Bahamas Family Vacation
If you are planning a Bahamas family vacation, there are several key things that you will want to take into consideration during the planning stage of your trip. For instance, if you are planning on going on a Bahamas family vacation, you will want to find a resort or hotel that caters to families, so that the kids will not be bored and so that you are your partner will still have some fun activities to do as well.
It is important to know that although the information available in regards to a Bahamas family vacation is truly extraordinary, it should not be frustrating to find exactly what you are looking for. For instance, using the Internet as a resource tool for your planning of a Bahamas family vacation is a great idea, as the speed and efficiency of the Internet will allow you to narrow your search dramatically.
The family resort, for instance, is a great place for families, because they offer more family based activities than anything else, and thus would be a great place for your family to stay on the trip. They have waterslides, waterfalls, lagoons, dolphins, and much more, as well as a variety of activities for adults, so that you and your partner can also spend some alone time together if the kids are old enough to be left alone for a night or two.
Remember that the most important thing is that you and your family have as much fun as possible, and so try to plan ahead as much as you possibly can, so that you can spend every second having fun and enjoying yourself while you are there, rather than being lost and confused and unsure of what to do next.
There are so many resources that are available to help in this exact regards, and so you should also take as much advantage of these as you possibly can. By doing this, you will ensure that you and your family will have an absolutely wonderful time.