Bahamas

About the Flag

The Bahamas Archipelago consists of some 700 islands and 2,400 cays located in the Atlantic Ocean 50 miles south and east of Florida, and extending south and east almost to Haiti. Independent from Great Britain since 1973, The Bahamas is a parliamentary democracy headed by a Prime Minister of the governing party, with a monarch (Queen Elizabeth II) represented by a Governor General. The capital is Nassau, and the English language is spoken. It is a member of the British Commonwealth, United Nations and the IMO.  The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation whose economy is based primarily on tourism, financial services and maritime services. It exports pharmaceuticals, cement, and refined petroleum products, and its major trading partners are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway. The currency is the Bahamian dollar, and its ports include Freeport, Matthew Town, Marsh Harbor and Nassau. 

The Bahamas Maritime Authority under the Ministry of The Environment is responsible for the Ship Registry. The Bahamian Merchant Shipping Act was enacted in 1976. The Registry has its principal office in London, while its central registry office is in Nassau. A New York office was officially opened in October 1998. 

The Bahamas is an open registry, and Bahamian vessels beneficially owned by US citizens are a party to the effective US controlled insurance and requisition system.