🇧🇸 Bahamas

The Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 islands (only 30 inhabited) stretching across 100,000 square miles of the Atlantic, home to about 410,000 people. GDP is around $14 billion, driven almost entirely by tourism and financial services. Nassau and Paradise Island pull in over 7 million visitors annually — more than 17 tourists for every resident. The country has no income tax, no corporate tax, and no capital gains tax, making it a major offshore financial center with over 200 registered banks. It's also ground zero for hurricane risk in the Caribbean.

Tourism accounts for roughly 50% of GDP directly and 70% when indirect effects are counted. Financial services contribute another 15%. The Bahamas launched the world's first central bank digital currency, the Sand Dollar, in 2020. The country imports over 90% of its food, creating a massive trade deficit. Hurricane Dorian in 2019 caused $3.4 billion in damage — about 25% of GDP.

The Bahamas' swimming pigs of Big Major Cay have become one of the most Instagrammed attractions in the Caribbean — nobody knows exactly how they got there. Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island is the world's deepest known saltwater blue hole at 202 meters. The Bahamas was a major base for rum-running during US Prohibition.

The Bahamas' economy is resilient but fragile — one bad hurricane season can undo years of growth. Diversification beyond tourism and banking remains the unfulfilled promise.