Timothy Sherman, age 14, of Shreveport, La., for his question:
HOW MANY BAHAMAS ISLANDS ARE THERE?
About 3,000 coral islands and reefs make up the Bahamas chain. Together they form an independent nation that extends from about 50 miles off the eastern coast of Florida to the northeastern tip of Cuba, a distance of over 500 miles.
Only about 20 of the Bahamas islands are inhabited. About four fifths of the Bahamian people live on two of the islands: New Providence and Grand Bahama. Nassau, the capital and largest city, lies on New Providence Island.
The Bahamas were a British colony from 1717 until 1973, when they gained independence.
Blacks make up about four fifths of the population of the Bahamas. Many of them are descended from slaves brought to the islands by British Loyalists. These British settlers left the United States after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783. The rest of the population is made up of whites and mulattoes, or persons of mixed black and white ancestry.
The Bahamas actually consist of nearly 700 islands and about 2,300 rocky islets and reefs. The principal islands include Acklins, Andros, Cat, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Great Exuma, Great Inagua, Little Abaco, New Providence and San Salvador.
Most of the Bahamas are long, narrow strips of limestone, covered by thin layers of stony, infertile soil. Pine forests cover parts of many of the islands.
Mild climate is the rule in the Bahamas. Temperatures average about 72 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter and about 85 degrees in summer. An average of about 45 inches of rain fall each year.
Tourism today ranks as the leading economic activity of the Bahamas. Many Bahamians work in hotels or in other businesses related to tourism.
About 1.5 million tourists visit the Bahamas each year.
Less than two percent of all Bahamian workers farm the land and the country must import most of its food. Farmers grow bananas, citrus fruits, cucumbers, pineapples, tomatoes and other crops. Fisherman catch crawfish and other seafood for local use and export.
A number of foreign corporations operate businesses in the Bahamas. The country has branches of many foreign banks.
About 1,000 miles of roads link Bahamian cities and towns. Cargo and passenger ships sail between the islands and other countries.
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is the official head of state. A governor general represents her in the Bahamas.
The nation's two house legislature is made up of a 38 member House of Assembly and the 16 member Senate. Voters elect all 38 assemblymen to five year terms. The head of the political party that holds the most assembly seats serves as prime minister and head of the government. Senators are appointed by the prime minister, the opposition parties and the governor general.