British Bahamas

Crown Colony of the Bahamas
1648–1973
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Expulsis piratis, Restituta commercia (Pirates repeulsed, Commerce Restored)
19th century map of the Crown Colony of the Bahamas
StatusBritish colony
CapitalNassau
Official languages
Religion
Anglicanism
DemonymBahamian
Establishment1648 CE
ISO 3166 codeBS
Succeeded by
Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Today part ofThe Bahamas

The British Bahamas were a British colony that existed from 1648 until 1973, when it became an independent nation. It is also referred to as the British Administered Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, or the Crown Colony of the Bahamas. The colony changed hands between private settlers, English lords, and the British Crown of the United Kingdom during the 325 years it was a colony. The Bahamas territory is an archipelago of approximately 700 islands and 30 reefs located in the Atlantic Ocean in the region of the Caribbean. The nation was dissolved in 1973 during Bahamian independence.