The Bahamas (officially named The Commonwealth of The Bahamas) or The Bahama Islands, is an archipelago consisting of many islands. There are about 2,000 islands if you include the cays which are small islands that are formed on coral reefs. The word Bahamas is of Spanish descent and means 'Shallow Water'.
The Bahamas is listed as an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The political and legal traditions of Bahamas closely follow the British ones, owing to their commonwealth membership.
The country has a parliamentary form of democracy and regular elections are held. The Bahamian senate consists of 16 members, who are appointed by the Governor-General. The Governor-General also appoints the Chief Justice on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Privy Council of the United Kingdom serves as the highest appellate court.
The local government districts in Bahamas elect local councils for town planning, business licenses, traffic issues and maintenance of government buildings. Lower level town councils are also accorded minor responsibilities in some large districts.