The Bahamas has been a fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth since July, 1973, when it gained independence from Britain, and is also a member of the United Nations, the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States. The country operates a parliamentary system of government, based on the British system, with a House of Assembly, whose members are directly elected every 5 years, and a Senate, whose members are appointed by the Governor General. English is the official language.

The Government of The Bahamas is dedicated to developing an economic environment which promotes free enterprise and has introduced policies, such as the National Investment Policy, to encourage investment and aid development. The country’s economy is largely dependent on tourism and related activities, which are responsible for around half of GDP. International banking and other financial services are also important, and there are dozens of insurance companies and hundreds of mutual funds companies and banking institutions operating on the islands. The Bahamas is also home to strong manufacturing, agriculture and fishery industries.

The country benefits from an excellent communications and transport infrastructure, with tens of millions of dollars of public money being spent on improvements since the early 1990s. There are six major airports, which are home to numerous international airlines offering flights to and from destinations across the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe, and 23 seaports, facilitating regular connections to North and South America and Europe. The largest ports are located in the capital, Nassau, and in the second largest city, Freeport, on Grand Bahama Island.