Who owns the Bahamas?

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is a sovereign nation that gained its independence on July 10, 1973. Prior to that time, the Bahamas was a British colony for 325 years. Its constitution establishes a parliamentary democracy with the current British monarch as head of state.

Although the British monarch is listed as the formal head of state, she is represented in the Bahamian government by a governor-general. The executive branch of government consists of a cabinet of at least nine ministers; the Bahamian government also includes legislative and judiciary branches.

Like other former British colonies, the Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth of Nations is not a governing body, but its member states agree to common ideals concerning democracy, human rights and the rule of law.