This short video shows moist clouds over the island of Cuba and the Bahamas as the ISS flies from the Caribbean Sea north-east to the Atlantic Ocean. In the video, Cuba is mostly covered by clouds, but the reefs in the Bahamas stand out.
The Bahamas are a group of about 700 islands and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited. The largest of the islands is Andros Island, located north of Cuba and 200 kilometres (120 miles) southeast 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. The island of Great Abaco is to its east. In the far south is the island of Great Inagua, the second-largest island in the country. Other notable islands include Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana. Nassau is the capital and largest city, located on New Providence. The islands have a tropical savannah climate, moderated by the Gulf Stream. The total size is 13,878 km2 (5,358 sq mi). Due to the many widespread islands it has the 41st largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 654,715 km2 (252,787 sq mi).
The islands are surface projections of two oceanic Bahama Banks - the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank.[1] The highest point is only 63 metres (207 feet) 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 thirty-seven meters. The land on the Bahamas has a foundation of fossil coral, but much of the rock is ooliticlimestone; the stone is derived from the disintegration of coral reefs and seashells.[1] The land is primarily either rocky or mangrove swamp.[1] Low scrub covers much of the surface area.[1]Pineyards are found on four of the northern islands: Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, New Providence, and Andros.[1] On some of the southern islands, low-growing tropical hardwood flourishes.[1] Although some soil is very fertile, it is also very thin.[1] Only a few freshwater lakes and just one river, located on Andros Island, are found in the Bahamas.[1]
Climate
Wettest tropical cyclones and their remnants in the Bahamas Highest-known totals
The climate of the Bahama islands is mostly tropical savanna, with two seasons, a hot and wet summer (wet season) and dry winter (dry season).
During the wet season, which extends from May through October, the climate is dominated by warm, moist tropical air masses[1] as the Bermuda High brings a southeasterly flow from the deep tropics. Daily high temperatures are in the 31 °C (87.8 °F) range, with a dew point temperatures in the 75–77 °F (23.9–25.0 °C) range, creating the typical hot and sultry island weather. Brief but intense thundershowers are common with thunder and lightning. In the wet season, tropical storms and weak tropical lows may also contribute to the seasonal rainfall.
In the dry season, extending from November through April, the subtropical high retreats, and a mix of drier northeast trade winds and occasional westerlies coming down from the North American mainland impact the Bahamas. Sunny, arid conditions prevail in the Bahamas in the dry season, and at times drought conditions can impact farming and agriculture. High temperatures during the dry season are in the 25 °C (77.0 °F) range.
Annual rainfall averages 132 centimetres (52 in) and is usually concentrated in the May–June and September–October periods.[1] Rainfall often occurs in short-lived, fairly intense, but brief thundershowers accompanied by strong gusty winds, followed by a return to clear skies.[1]
Winds are predominantly easterly throughout the year but tend to become northeasterly from October to April and southeasterly from May to September.[1] These winds seldom exceed twenty-four kilometres per hour except during hurricane season.[1] Although the hurricane season officially lasts from June to November, most hurricanes in the Bahamas occur between July and October.[1] The strongest storm to strike the country was Hurricane Andrew in 1992, until Hurricane Dorian struck in 2019. Damage was estimated at US$250 million and mainly affected agricultural products.
The most intense hurricane to strike the Bahamas was Hurricane Dorian in 2019, with wind gusts of up to 355 kilometres per hour (221 mph) being recorded. 84 people died (74 of which were from the Bahamas), and there was catastrophic damage to buildings, homes, and boats, and sometimes complete destruction. Preliminary damage estimates are in the US$7 billion range.[10]
Climate change is causing temperature increases in the Bahamas. The average temperature has increased by approximately 0.5 °C since 1960. The rate of the temperature increase varies seasonally, with average daily maximum temperatures for July recently increasing at a rate of 2.6 °C per 100 years.[15] Global temperature rise of 2 °C above preindustrial levels can increase the likelihood of extreme hurricane rainfall by four to five times in the Bahamas.[16][17] The IPCC expects the 20-year average global temperature to exceed +1.5 °C in the early 2030s.[18]
The Bahamas is expected to be highly affected by sea level rise because at least 80% of the total land is below 10 meters elevation.[19][20] As a small island developing state, the Bahamas is vulnerable to escalating disease outbreaks, and climate change could affect the seasonality of outbreaks and transmission of disease.[21]
Although the country's greenhouse gas emissions are comparatively small (2.94 million tonnes of green house gases emitted in 2023),[22] the Bahamas is reliant on imported fossil fuels for energy generation.[23] The government plans to increase solar energy capacity to 30% of the country's total energy production by 2033.[24] The Bahamas has pledged to reduce its emissions by 30% by 2030, if international support is received.[25]
A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 1,354 km² of tidal flats in the Bahamas, making it the 24th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.[26]
Sea territory
654,715 km2 (252,787 sq mi)
Terrain
The terrain consists of long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills.
In the Bahamas forest cover is around 51% of the total land area, equivalent to 509,860 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 509,860 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 0 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be primary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 80% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 20% private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown.[27]
Natural hazards
Hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood and wind damage
^Brown, Daniel P (December 17, 2007). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Noel(PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. p. 4. Archived(PDF) from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
^Avila, Lixion A; Stewart, Stacy R; Berg, Robbie; Hagen, Andrew B (April 20, 2020). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dorian(PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
^Rappaport, Edward N (November 26, 1995). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Erin(PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
^Pasch, Richard J; Kimberlain, Todd B; Stewart, Stacey R (November 18, 1999). Preliminary Report: Hurricane Floyd(PDF) (Report). United States National Hurricane Center. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
Chenoweth, Michael (1998). "The Early 19th Century Climate of the Bahamas and a Comparison with 20th Century Averages". Climatic Change. 40 (3–4): 577–603. doi:10.1023/A:1005371320672. S2CID150631324.
Carew, James L.; Mylroie, John E. (1997). Geology of the Bahamas(PDF). Retrieved 9 February 2017.
