On the occasion to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Bahamas independence back in 1973, President Paul Kagame was awarded the Order of Excellence, the country’s highest honor.

ALSO READ: VIDEO: Kagame awarded Bahamas Order of Excellence

Since July 5, he has been on working visits in Caribbean nations, starting in Trinidad and Tobago to attend the 45th Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), and making bilateral meetings with Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica to foster continuous cooperation between countries.

The New Times takes a look at why Bahamas stands out among other Caribbean countries that Kagame has had a rapport with, especially as marked with the symbolic award of great friendship he has with the country.

ALSO READ: Kagame makes case for cooperation between land and sea-locked countries

The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic, which comprises about 700 islands.

The islands occupy a position commanding the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the entire Central American region.

The British colony has the British monarch as the formal head of state, who is represented by a governor-general –currently being Cornelius Smith, the head of government is the prime minister –currently Philip Davis –who is formally appointed by the governor-general.

African inheritance culture

The Bahamas’ society and culture is one that has evolved as a distinctive blend of European and African heritages, the latter a legacy of the slave trade. It was one of the Caribbean stops where African slaves were transported to be sold at auction before being taken to America and other countries.

During the 18th century slave trade, many purchased African slaves were brought to the Bahamas to work unpaid. Their descendants now constitute 85 per cent of the Bahamian population. The Bahamas gained independence from the United Kingdom on July 10, 1973.

The era which ended in the mid-20th century also saw the introduction of the plantation system using African slaves.

That history explains why most of the population of The Bahamas is of African descent, with a small but significant minority of mixed European and African heritage and a similar number of descendants of English pioneer settlers.

The only native language is English, however due to the Haitian immigrants since the mid-20th century, French or the related Haitian Creole vernacular is also spoken.

Worth to note that the Bahamas is a Christian nation with a majority of them being non-Anglican Protestants, and smaller proportions of Roman Catholics and Anglicans.

The current population of Bahamas is 404,550 as of Sunday, July 9, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

Economy

Bahamas’ economy is heavily dependent on tourism and international financial services, making its GDP one of the highest in the region.

This is because the islands are endowed with an agreeable climate and picturesque beaches. The average temperature varies from the low 70° F (about 21 °C) during the winter to the low 80s F (about 27 °C) during the summer.

In 2022, tourists&039; arrival resumed to pre-COVID levels, recording more than seven million in that year alone.

Despite the concentration of population in urban centres devoted to tourism, the traditional pattern of small farming and fishing prevails in some villages.

When it comes to trade, Bahamas major imports include machinery and transport equipment, food products, and mineral fuels while exports are petroleum and rock lobster.

At the anniversary that also hosted the awarding ceremony, Kagame noted: "The common history we share, is undeniable, and it is undiluted by the ocean that separates us. Those bonds are a solid foundation upon which to build stronger and deeper cooperation.”

Origin and name

Historically, it has been widely accepted that Columbus made his initial landing in the New World on the island of San Salvador. However, in 1986, National Geographic put forth the theory that he might have landed on Samana Cay instead. Regardless of the specific location, it is well established that the European land rush in the New World commenced in the Bahamas.

Records have it that the name Bahamas comes from the Spanish term "baja mar” which means shallow sea in Spanish. As seen in any satellite image, the water around the Bahamas is indeed shallow.

The Bahamas stands as one of eleven nations worldwide that include the word "The" in their official names. There are additional countries that incorporate "the" due to the inclusion of a noun, such as "republic" or "kingdom," in their names. These countries encompass the Union of the Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Gambia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Republic of the Philippines, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Republic of the Sudan.

Olympians

The Bahamas has achieved remarkable success in the Olympics, largely due to the exceptional performances of its athletes. Sprinters such as Pauline Davis-Thompson, Tonique Williams-Darling, and Shaunae Miller have played a crucial role in securing numerous medals for the country. Interestingly, all of the Bahamas' Olympic medals have been earned in athletics and sailing.

What's truly impressive is the per capita medal rate, which stands at 33.9 per million residents. This statistic becomes even more noteworthy when considering the relatively small population of the Bahamas, which is 404,550. In fact, only Finland, Sweden, and Hungary surpass the Bahamas in terms of medals per capita.