Bahama Republic

Bahama is part of Commonwealth Lucaya in Vekllei

Bahama Republic
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Lucayan Commonwealth
Capital	Freeport
Population	80,346
Area	1,373 km²
Languages	English, Lucayan
Vekllei Accession	1930, as part of the Alford Agreement

The Bahama Republic (sometimes called Grand Bahama) is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the northern and western periphery of the Lucayan archipelago. It comprises a large island known as Grand Bahama, a name sometimes colloquially substituted for the republic, but also additional islets and cays. The largest of its peripheral islands are the Biminis, which support a naval surveillance station. The republic lies just 100km off the coast of Miami, Florida and has a complex history with the American continent.

The island of Grand Bahama is fringed by coral reefs that have wrecked many ships throughout history. A permanent Spanish colonial presence was largely dissuaded by the reefs, and as such the island remained largely controlled by indigenous Lucayans throughout the 17th and 18th Centuries. Its geographic proximity but political isolation made it attractive to pirates, who would raid ships using the reefs as cover. Pirates were also known to fight with native Lucayans, whose numbers were greatly reduced by the 19th Century. During the prohibition era in the United States, the island was used for storing and smuggling alcohol.

Today, Bahama plays an outsized role in Lucayan life. It is highly developed, with good infrastructure supporting a busy industrial sector and trade from all corners of the world. It is sometimes referred to as the “gateway to Commonwealth Lucaya” for its global connections and booming downtown, and is a common port of entry to Vekllei as a whole. Bahamans are a self-assured and proud people in the tradition of their Lucayan and pirate ancestors, and have a distinctive and assertive way of talking that make them skilled negotiators. The republic has several international schools catering to its foreign working population, and it is not uncommon to hear locals speaking English with an American rather than typically British Creole accent common in the Vekllei Caribbean.

Bahama is the industrial heart of the Lucayan archipelago, and conducts significant trade with the United States and neighbouring Cuba and Hispaniola. The Commonwealth Oil Free Bunkering Terminal is the largest in the Western hemisphere and represents a primary mechanism of foreign oil export in Vekllei. The terminal has an oil refinery attached, mostly processing petroleum for specialised uses from other Vekllei refineries. The city of Freeport has a sophisticated port and automatic commercial shipyard, with a drydock that constructs many Commonwealth-built commercial vessels. It is also home to the largest cement plant in western Vekllei.

Bahama is also a gateway to the Vekllei market for Americans due to its history and proximity to the Floridian coast. Many foreign businesses operate in Bahama, mostly staffed by foreign workers. It is second only to Nema in terms of trade with the Americas. There are several managed timber plantations across the main island, which account for ten percent of Commonwealth supply.

Climate

Warm and wet, with a tropical monsoon season. August through October is hurricane season.

Public Holidays:

• New Year’s Day 1 Jan
• Republic Day 26 Feb
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• Whit Monday
• Commonwealth Day 1 May
• Emancipation Day 1st Mon/Aug
• Discovery Day 12 Oct
• Christmas Day 25 Dec
• Boxing Day 26 Dec