World Factbook
Bahamas
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
10,010 sq km
water
3,870 sq km
total
13,880 sq km
Climate
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Land use
other
47.8% (2023 est.)
forest
50.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
1.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 0.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.2% (2023 est.)
Location
chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba; note - although The Bahamas does not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically it is often designated as a Caribbean nation
Coastline
3,542 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
1.3 km NE of Old Bight on Cat Island 64 m
Irrigated land
10 sq km (2012)
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage
Geography - note
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited
Natural resources
salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Geographic coordinates
24 15 N, 76 00 W
Population distribution
most of the population lives in urban areas, with two thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located