Bahama Islands

2.1

A country made of many islands east of Florida and Cuba with warm weather and popular beaches

proper noun
/bəˈhɑːmə ˈaɪləndz/

: Islas Bahamas

The Bahama Islands gained independence from Britain in 1973.

Examples

Wildlife conservation is a key issue in the Bahama Islands due to their unique ecosystems.
The Bahama Islands are famous for their beautiful beaches.
Many tourists visit the Bahama Islands each year to enjoy their beautiful beaches and warm climate.
Have you ever visited the Bahama Islands?
Many tourists flock to the Bahama Islands every winter for their beautiful beaches.
The Bahama Islands are famous for their vibrant coral reefs and clear blue waters.
Every year, thousands of cruise ships stop at the Bahama Islands to allow passengers to explore the local culture.

Synonyms

Bahamas

vsBahama Islands

107 1.0

An island country in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida and Cuba, popular for sunny beaches and clear blue water

is the more formal or fuller island-group name seen on maps and documents

Commonwealth of the Bahamas

vsBahama Islands

2.9

An island country in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida and Cuba, famous for white sandy beaches

is the informal island-group name used in everyday talk about tourism

Surface Forms

Bahama Islands main

Morphology

Bahama + island

The phrase is simply a place name combining a proper noun with the noun 'islands'; if a learner knows 'island' and recognises 'Bahama' as the name of a place, the meaning (a group of islands called Bahama/the Bahamas) is directly inferable. This type of compositional place-name (NAME + islands) is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately transparent to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Bahama Islands may come from the Spanish words baja and mar, meaning 'shallow sea' or 'low tide'. That image of low water and many sandbanks fits these islands, so the name came to be used for the group of islands.