The Bahamas gets its name from the Spanish, baja mar, meaning 'shallow sea'. The turquoise waters that lap this land are as calm and warm as its people. Throughout the 700-plus islands that constitute The Bahamas, residents tend to abide by 'island time', an affectionate term used to describe the Bahamians' laidback demeanour and their slow-moving way of life. It isn't too hard to fall into this habit: many of islands are either uninhabited or sparsely populated, and from beaches strewn with beautiful seashells to homes painted in soft pastel shades, serenity is easy to find.

Yet many forget that this mammoth archipelago is twice the size of Spain. For those who want a destination which offers something a bit more than just peaceful seclusion, they will find The Bahamas is large enough to accommodate everyone's tastes. From shopping in the bustling straw market, to golfing in world-class courses, to diving amidst shipwrecks and coral reefs, to windsurfing and parasailing, and then a bit of dancing the night away to the bubbly sounds of goombay, calypso and Junkanoo music, The Bahamas is not lacking in things to do.

It is perhaps for these reasons that The Bahamas attracts fabulously wealthy people to its shores. The post of governor, representing the British monarch, was once a remote but pleasant sinecure, sought after because of the association of the islands with luxury. The Bahamas does, indeed, have its fair share of exclusive villas and hotel complexes, but it was also once a haven for freed slaves and this accepting approach to people from all ways of life persists – visitors are still more likely to come across a clapboard house and that classic Bahamian hospitality than they are to stumble across a lavish resort.

Although many attribute Bahamian 'island time' to its location and the Caribbean stereotypes of mellowness, The Bahamas is not actually classified as a Caribbean country, since it dwells in the Atlantic Ocean. This is just one of the many quirky facts of The Bahamas, and underlines how geographically abstruse the country is. It is best to ignore such petty details, however, and instead contemplate exactly why it was The Bahamas where Ponce de León landed when in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth.

Geography
The Bahamas consist of 700 low-lying islands, mostly islets (cays or keys) and rocks. The whole archipelago extends 970km (500 miles) southeastward from the coast of Florida, surrounded by clear, colorful waters. The soil is thin, but on the more developed islands, cultivation has produced exotic flowers. On other islands are large areas of pine forest, rocky and barren land, swamp and unspoilt beaches. The Bahamas are divided into two oceanic features, the Little Bahama Bank and the Great Bahama Bank.