GUIDES · BAHAMAS
Key Facts
- —Where it sits An English-speaking island nation of 403,033 people in 2025, per the World Bank. Bimini lies 50 miles off Florida’s east coast, per the national tourism board.
- —Neighbours Florida to the west, Cuba to the south and Haiti to the south-east. The British territory of the Turks and Caicos lies beyond its south-eastern tip.
- —Biggest partner The United States. US goods exports to The Bahamas reached US$5.98 billion in 2025 and imports US$2.62 billion, per the US Census Bureau.
- —Currency The Bahamian dollar. B$1 equals US$1; the Central Bank of The Bahamas quoted the US dollar at 1.0000 on 13 October 2026.
- —Regional bodies A CARICOM member since 4 July 1983 but outside its common market, per the IMF. Part of the inter-American system since 1982, per the OAS.
- —Government Prime Minister Philip Davis won a second term on Tuesday 12 May 2026. Fred Mitchell is Minister of Foreign Affairs as of October 2026.
The Bahamas neighbourhood is a stretch of shallow sea between Florida, Cuba, Haiti and the Turks and Caicos. Almost every big question in Bahamian foreign policy runs through Washington.
For a US reader the islands are a holiday next door, a dollar-linked market and a frontline for migration. They are also a small stage for rivalry between the United States and China.
Where the Bahamas Sits on the Map
The Bahamas runs south-east from just off Florida towards Cuba and Hispaniola. Bimini, in the west of the chain, is 50 miles from Florida’s eastern coast, according to the national tourism board.
The neighbours differ hugely in size. The World Bank counted 403,033 Bahamians in 2025, against 11.9 million people in Haiti and 10.9 million in Cuba.
The Turks and Caicos had 46,855.
Only one Bahamian sea border is settled by a treaty registered with the United Nations. The UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea lists one such agreement, with Cuba.
It has been in force since Friday 9 March 2012.
No boundary agreement with the United States, or with the United Kingdom for the Turks and Caicos, appears on that list. The Bahamas deposited its archipelagic baselines with the UN on 23 December 2008.
It filed preliminary information on its continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles on 6 February 2014.
The United States and Florida, the Neighbour That Matters Most
No neighbour weighs as much as the United States. The Ministry of Tourism said 83 percent of all visitors in the first quarter of 2025 came from the US.
Canada sent 9 percent.
The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation recorded 12.5 million visitor arrivals in 2025, the highest annual total on record. Cruise passengers made up 86.5 percent of the total.
Goods trade runs heavily one way. US Census Bureau data show US exports to The Bahamas of US$5.98 billion in 2025.
Imports were US$2.62 billion, leaving a US surplus of US$3.37 billion. From January to August 2026, exports were US$3.78 billion and imports US$1.24 billion.
Washington has tested the relationship on migration. The Office of the Prime Minister said on Thursday 5 December 2024 that it had “firmly rejected” a Trump transition proposal.
The plan would have sent other countries’ deportees to The Bahamas. The statement added that the country “simply does not have the resources” for such a request.
Safety is the other standing issue. The State Department kept The Bahamas at Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, when it updated its advisory on Tuesday 28 July 2026.
It said violent crime is concentrated in New Providence and Grand Bahama, as reported by The Tribune in Nassau.
The US Embassy says six US citizens have been hospitalised after jet ski accidents since August 2024. US Ambassador Herschel Walker has warned that many operators are unlicensed and uninsured.
Drug enforcement is a newer point of friction. In September 2026 a Bahamian delegation complained to the US Justice Department about undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents.
The government says they operated without its permission; Ambassador Walker dismissed the complaint as “fake news”, The Tribune reported.
The Hospital Loan From China
On Wednesday 3 December 2025, Prime Minister Davis backed a resolution to borrow up to CNY 1.4235 billion (about US$201.2 million). The lender is the Export-Import Bank of China, and the money is for a new hospital in western New Providence.
Ambassador Walker urged Nassau to look at financing options “that adhere to international norms”. China’s embassy called it a “livelihood project financed through a highly preferential loan”.
The Caribbean Media Corporation reported the exchange in February 2026.
The exchange shows how a domestic health project became part of a wider contest. The United States wants to remain the islands’ “economic and security partner of choice”, in the ambassador’s words.
Cuba, a Close Neighbour Under Washington’s Watch
Cuba and The Bahamas signed their maritime boundary agreement in October 2011. It entered into force on 9 March 2012 and is registered with the UN under number 49590.
Havana said at the time that it would allow cooperation on living and non-living marine resources.
The sharper issue is Cuban medical staff. On Tuesday 25 February 2025 the United States expanded visa restrictions on people tied to Cuba’s overseas medical programme.
Washington calls the programme forced labour; Cuba rejects the allegation.
The Davis government then ended its contracts with Cuban health professionals. It sought direct employment deals with those who wished to stay.
It also put new recruitment from Cuba on hold.
In July 2026, Health Minister Michael Darville said talks with the US Embassy were “near completion”. Only three Cuban doctors were then practising in The Bahamas, he said.
Other Cuban staff worked as technicians and radiographers.
The pressure has spread beyond health. The government decided not to renew the contracts of 31 Cuban teachers, The Tribune reported on 28 August 2026.
Recruitment of Cuban medical personnel remained on hold.
Haiti and the Migration Question
Haiti is the neighbour most present in Bahamian domestic debate. Migrant boats from Haiti cross Bahamian waters, and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force intercepts them.
On Monday 11 March 2024 the Defence Force intercepted 140 Haitian migrants in waters off the Turks and Caicos. That came hours after it had caught 107 Haitian migrants off Inagua.
Removals are regular. On Wednesday 5 November 2025 the Department of Immigration flew 64 Haitian nationals to Cap-Haïtien on a Bahamasair charter.
In late November it deported 105 Haitians, which the Office of the Prime Minister called the largest single exercise of 2025.
Diplomacy continues alongside enforcement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the Bahamas Embassy in Port-au-Prince as CARICOM’s only embassy in Haiti.
In February 2025 its staff met Cap-Haïtien’s chamber of commerce and mayor on maritime cooperation and tourism.
The income gap explains the pressure. Haiti’s output was about US$24.3 billion in 2024 and the Bahamas’ US$15.8 billion, per the World Bank.
Haiti has nearly 30 times as many people, so income per person is far lower.
Turks and Caicos, the Same Island Chain Under a Different Flag
The Turks and Caicos Islands lie beyond the south-eastern tip of the Bahamian chain. They are a British Overseas Territory, and King Charles III is head of state in both places.
The territory is far smaller. It had 46,855 people in 2025 and output of about US$1.75 billion in 2024, according to the World Bank.
The two face the same migration route from Haiti, and Bahamian patrols operate close to Turks and Caicos waters. The March 2024 interception off the territory was carried out by a Bahamian vessel, HMBS Bahamas.
No boundary treaty between The Bahamas and the United Kingdom for these waters is registered with the UN. The public record therefore does not show an agreed line in the south-east.
CARICOM, the OAS and Where the Bahamas Leads or Follows
The Bahamas signed the CARICOM treaty on Monday 4 July 1983. That made it the 13th member of the Caribbean Community, according to the IMF’s directory of regional bodies.
It did not join the common market.
That choice still defines its regional role. Nassau takes part in CARICOM’s political work.
It keeps its own controls on goods, services and labour from the rest of the bloc. The Bahamas entered the inter-American system in 1982, according to the Organization of American States, the hemisphere-wide body based in Washington.
King Charles III will make his first visit to The Bahamas as monarch from Tuesday 27 October 2026, according to Buckingham Palace. He then goes on to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, held from 1 to 4 November.
The Bahamas leads on Haiti diplomacy within CARICOM, as the only member with an embassy there as of March 2025. On Cuba it has mostly followed Washington, as the medical staff case shows.
On deportations from the US, it said no.
What It Means for US Readers
Travellers: Bimini is 50 miles from Florida, and Nassau is a fixture on cruise itineraries. The State Department advisory stood at Level 2 after its 28 July 2026 update. It warns about crime in New Providence and Grand Bahama and about jet ski operators.
Investors: the Bahamian dollar trades one to one with the US dollar, which removes currency risk for dollar holders. US exporters sold US$5.98 billion of goods to the islands in 2025. The Chinese hospital loan shows Beijing competing for influence next door.
Expats and residents: migration enforcement against Haitian nationals is regular and visible. The unresolved Cuban medical staff question also affects staffing in the public health system. Our safety guide for expats covers daily life in more detail.
Connected Coverage
Bahamas news from The Rio Times
The Bahamas Explained: The Islands, the Economy, the Politics and What to Watch
Philip Davis Wins Early Election as Bahamas Economy Rides Record 12.5 Million Visitors
Investing in the Bahamas as a Foreigner: Property, Funds and the Zero-Tax Frame
What Is Not Known
Whether the talks with US officials on Cuban health workers have concluded. The health minister said in late August 2026 that negotiations were continuing, and no outcome had been announced in the latest reports.
How far the hospital financed by the Export-Import Bank of China has progressed. Parliament debated the borrowing in December 2025, but a construction timetable has not been confirmed in public sources.
Where the sea borders with the United States and the Turks and Caicos run. No agreements are registered with the UN, and the state of any negotiations is not public.
What the Smuggling of Migrants Bill 2025 will change in practice. The government promoted it in December 2025, and its final form and enforcement record are not yet clear.
What the King’s October visit will bring. No agreements tied to the Bahamian leg have been announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Bahamas’ neighbours?
The United States (Florida) lies to the west, Cuba to the south and Haiti to the south-east. The Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory, lies beyond the south-eastern tip of the Bahamian chain.
How close is The Bahamas to Florida?
Bimini, in the west of The Bahamas, is 50 miles from Florida’s eastern coast, according to the national tourism board.
Is The Bahamas a member of CARICOM?
Yes. The Bahamas signed the CARICOM treaty on 4 July 1983 and became the 13th member of the Caribbean Community. It did not join the common market.
Does The Bahamas have a maritime border agreement with Cuba?
Yes. The two countries signed it in October 2011 and it entered into force on 9 March 2012. It is the only Bahamian boundary agreement listed by the UN.
Why does Haitian migration matter so much to The Bahamas?
Migrant boats from Haiti cross Bahamian waters, and the Defence Force intercepts them. The Department of Immigration deported 105 Haitians in one exercise in late November 2025, the largest of that year.
What is the US travel advisory for The Bahamas?
Level 2, exercise increased caution. The State Department updated it on 28 July 2026. It cited violent crime in New Providence and Grand Bahama and risks from jet ski operators.
Sources: UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Bahamas maritime file; US Census Bureau, US trade in goods with The Bahamas; World Bank, population and GDP data; IMF, directory entry on CARICOM membership; Organization of American States, The Bahamas member page; Central Bank of The Bahamas, daily exchange rates; Office of the Prime Minister, hospital loan resolution, 3 December 2025; Office of the Prime Minister, statement on the Smuggling of Migrants Bill 2025; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahamian-Haitian relations, March 2025; Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Bimini; The Tribune, cabinet sworn in, May 2026; The Tribune, US travel advisory update, July 2026; The Tribune, DEA operations dispute, September 2026; The Tribune, Cuban teachers’ contracts not renewed, August 2026; The Tribune, Cuban medical staff talks, July 2026; The Tribune, deportation proposal rejected, December 2024; The Tribune, Haitian repatriation, November 2025; The Tribune, royal visit announcement; Eyewitness News, Defence Force interceptions, March 2024; Eyewitness News, first-quarter 2025 tourism figures; Travelweek, Ministry of Tourism 2025 arrivals; Caribbean Media Corporation via Caribbean Today, China and US on the hospital loan; CBC Barbados, 12 May 2026 election; Havana Times, Cuba-Bahamas boundary agreement in force. All accessed 13 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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