The Bahamas is an island nation in the northern Caribbean, part of North America. The country has approximately 385,000 inhabitants and is the size of a third of the Netherlands. See Bahamas population density. The capital is Nassau.

According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER, the country consists of 29 islands, 661 cays and 2,387 islets (rocks). The country is located east of Florida and north of Cuba. To the east are the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory. The islands extend over a distance of 850 kilometers. The capital Nassau is located on New Providence Island, the largest island is Andros Island. Outside of Nassau, the town of Freeport is also of interest. The islands are low lying, the highest point is the 63 meter high Mount Alvernia. The country has a subtropical to tropical climate and is prone to hurricanes.

The country gained self-government in 1964 and gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1973. The country is the most prosperous in North America after the United States and Canada, with an income of $34,000 per capita. Tourism and fishing are the largest economic sectors in the Bahamas.

Road Network

The road network consists of approximately 2,700 kilometers of road, of which just under 1,600 kilometers is paved. Traffic in the Bahamas is on the left, a relic of British colonial times. There are no bridges between the major islands, but there are a number of smaller bridges, such as two one-way bridges to and from Paradise Island near Nassau, where tolls have to be paid. Ferry services and aviation are the main modes of transport between the islands. On the islands themselves, the road network is well developed, but there are no motorways. In Nassau there are some 2×2 roads, which are connected to each other with large traffic circles. Also in Freeport are pieces of 2×2. Fewer people live on the other islands and there are usually only a few connecting roads.

Road management

The road authority of the Bahamas is the Road Traffic Department.

Road numbering

There is no road numbering in the Bahamas.

Signage

Little is known about any signage. This is probably sparse because most islands have only one larger inhabited place. It is possible that the signage is based on the British model, because the country was British territory until the 1970s.

Maximum speed

The speed limit is 25 mph (40 km/h) in Nassau and other larger towns. Outside built-up areas this is 30 mph (50 km/h) on the more populous islands and 45 mph (70 km/h) on the main roads of the ‘Family Islands’, a name used for the smaller islands that are less populated to be. The maximum speed is formally laid down in legislation for each island.