Filed under the Americas and more precisely the Caribbean, the Bahamas is a sovereign state. The long form of the name is Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Nassau is the capital.
By land area it covers 13,943 km², which ranks it 162nd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Timor-Leste and just ahead of Montenegro. For scale, it is around a quarter larger than Qatar.
Around 401,283 people live there, placing it 178th of 250 by population — between Belize above it and Iceland below. Within the Caribbean alone it is the 4th largest of 28 and the 7th most populous.
How the Bahamas sits on the globe
Its reference point sits at 24.3° north and 76.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 2,700 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Saudi Arabia, Libya and Western Sahara.
No land border connects it to another country. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, so everything and everyone arrives by sea or by air.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
People, population and language
Spread across 13,943 km², that works out at about 29 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
People from the Bahamas are called Bahamians.
English is the only official language. English is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 90 other entries including American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and Australia.
Inside the Americas it places 29th of 56 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in the Caribbean.
Currency and codes
More than one currency circulates: Bahamian dollar (BSD) and United States dollar (USD). It is issued for the Bahamas alone.
If a quiz asks for the capital of the Bahamas, the answer is Nassau.
The top-level domain is .bs. Calls from overseas start with +1242. Its ISO codes are bs and BHS, which is what most databases and flag files use.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Fun facts about Bahamas
- People from the Bahamas are known as Bahamians.
- It is 178th of 250 by population, with about 401,283 residents.
- Saudi Arabia and Libya sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Population density works out at roughly 29 people per square kilometre.
- Its capital city is Nassau.
- Within the Caribbean it is the 4th largest of 28.
- In land area it is around a quarter larger than Qatar.
Bahamas — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of the Bahamas?
- The capital of the Bahamas is Nassau.
- What currency does the Bahamas use?
- The Bahamas uses the Bahamian dollar, written $ (currency code BSD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Does the Bahamas border any other country?
- No. The Bahamas has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
- What language is spoken in the Bahamas?
- The official language of the Bahamas is English. It is also official in 90 other entries on this list.
- Is the Bahamas a country?
- Yes. The Bahamas is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What is the population of the Bahamas?
- The Bahamas has a population of about 401,283, which makes it the 178th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Belize sits just above it and Iceland just below.
- Where is the Bahamas located?
- The Bahamas is in the Caribbean, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 24.3° north and 76.0° west, roughly 2,700 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.
- How big is the Bahamas?
- The Bahamas covers 13,943 km², ranking 162nd of 250 by land area. That makes it around a quarter larger than Qatar.
