National Day of the Bahamas

Manila, Philippines – Today is the National Day of Bahamas.

Consisting of around 3,000 islands, islets, and cays, Bahamas is located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Florida in the United States of America, north of Cuba and the Caribbean, and northwest of the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Nassau is the capital and largest city.

The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718. Some 8,000 American Loyalists and their assistants moved to the Bahamas after 1783 from New York, Florida and the Carolinas. The emancipation of the British West Indies took force on August 1, 1834. This led to many people who suffered from the USA braving the perils of the Atlantic for the promise of a free life in the Bahamas. The British made the islands internally self-governing in 1964. In 1973, The Bahamas declared independence, but retained membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.

Tourism is the most important economic activity of the Bahamas. Tourism as an industry not only accounts for over 60 percent of the Bahamian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but also provides jobs for more than half the country’s workforce. After tourism, the most important economic sector is financial services, accounting for around 15 percent of GDP. The country’s GDP per capita is one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

We congratulate the people and government of the Bahamas led by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and Their Excellencies, Governor General Arthur Foulkes, Prime Minister Perry Christie, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Frederick Mitchell, on the occasion of its National Day. The Manila Bulletin, led by its Chairman of the Board Dr. Emilio T. Yap, President and Publisher Atty. Hermogenes P. Pobre, Executive Vice President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Cris J. Icban Jr., Business Editor Loreto D. Cabanes, and Officers, wish them all the best and success in all their endeavors. MABUHAY!