Bahamas: An Overview [Updated April 13, 2022]   [open pdf - 559KB]

From the Document: "The Bahamas, a Caribbean nation of some 700 islands off the southeast coast of the United States, has been a stable parliamentary democracy since its independence from the United Kingdom (UK) in 1973. The country's bicameral legislature has a 39-seat House of Assembly directly elected for five-year terms and a 16-member appointed Senate. [...] Current Prime Minister Philip Davis led the PLP [Progressive Liberal Party] to a landslide electoral victory in September 2021, winning 32 House of Assembly seats; the FNM [Free National Movement], now led by Michael Pintard, who serves as leader of the opposition, won 7 seats. The difficult economic situation, brought about by the damage caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and, beginning in 2020, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, was a key factor that led to the PLP's win in 2021. National elections are next due by 2026."