Bahamas (1983: Doomsday)

The Bahamas, officially the Caribbean Republic of the Bahamas, is an island nation in the extreme north of the Caribbean Sea. It is located to the north of Cuba and to the west of the Floridian Peninsula. It is a member state in the East Caribbean Federation.

Pre-1983
Prior to the events of Doomsday, the Bahamas were a prospering nation, with an economy founded on the principles of international finance and tourism. Having recently gained independence in 1973 as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the nation was quickly becoming one of the richest in the region.

1983-1984
Immediately following the events of Doomsday, the financial pillars of the Bahamian economy began to crumble. Fears of radioactive fallout reaching the islands from nearby Florida were widespread, but the prevailing winds of the region pushed the fallout west, away from the islands. Without primary or secondary industry to sustain itself, the Bahamas were forced to seek aid from other nations.

Most nations were unable to assist the Bahamas, most notably including the former United Kingdom. Beliving the British monarchy to have died in the attacks and recognizing the inability of the wider world to help, the island passed the Memorial Act, re-organizing the nation into the Caribbean Republic of the Bahamas.

In February 1984, as food stores were beginning to dwindle to critical levels, The Bahamas secured a crucial trade agreement with the Republic of Mexico, receiving primarily humanitarian aid in the form of food supplies. The nation's economy began to stabilize beyond that point, greatly reduced from the loss of its primary industries.

1985-1996
In 1985, the NIFTA (Northern Islands Free Trade Agreement) was signed between The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, establishing common trade and travel regulations between the two nations. The two grew economically close as a result, with the Turks and Caicos becoming dependent on Bahamian trade.

In 1988, an experimental 200 KW Solar Station was constructed in Freeport. A joint venture between BES, a native Bahamian start-up company, and Sistemas Solares, a Mexican energy corporation, the construction was mainly paid for by Sistemas Solares as a proof of concept. It had great success, producing about 7% of the power for the city of Freeport once operational.

In 1990, the first elections since Doomsday occured, called as a result of an embezzlement scandal involving Prime Minister Lynden Pindling. Henry Taylor was elected as the new Prime Minister, leading a minority government of the Free National Movement party.

In 1996, The Bahamas agreed to join the East Caribbean Federation, along with the Turks and Caicos Islands.

1997-2012
In 1997, the East Caribbean Federation agreed to fund an expansion of the Freeport Solar Station, as part of an initiative to promote energy self-sufficiency in member states. The panel field is expanded to a capacity of 2 MW. It becomes fully operational in the following year, now providing over 11% of all power in the fast-growing city of Freeport.

In 2000, the University of the North Caribbean (UNC) is founded in Nassau. The school attracts some of the brightest scientific minds in the Caribbean to teach, becoming a highly-respected institution for meteorological and oceanographic research.

In 2002, Prime Minister Taylor is unseated by Marguerite McKenzie, the former wife of Lynden Pindling. She is elected as leader of a majority government, formed by the United Republican Party.

In 2004, The Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CARI-MO) was founded as a national weather service for the ECF. It was established and headquartered in Nassau, adjacent to the University of the North Caribbean. It was formed primarily as a response to the poor communication between various government weather organizations seen during Hurricane Francis.

As of 2011, private and public solar energy now accounts for 23% of all power consumption in the Bahamas.

Politics
The Caribbean Republic of the Bahamas is a unitary parliamentary republic, with power vested in a cermonial president and led by a Prime Minister. There are fifty seats in Parliament, fifteen of which are permanently assigned to an area and the rest assigned by proportional representation of the population.

The government is currently formed by the United Republican Party, with Marguerite McKenzie as Prime Minister. The Opposition is formed by the Progressive Liberal Party, led by Perry Christie. The President of the Bahamas is currently Arthur Hanna.

Economy
The Bahamian economy has recovered rapidly since Doomsday, becoming a centre of business and finance in the Caribbean. Due to its strategic location along shipping lanes, Nassau in particular attracted a large deal of trade from the surrounding islands and nations. It also attracted a great deal of start-up companies and venture capitalists, due to government policies favourable to small business and scientific research. As a result of this, the East Caribbean Stock Exchange is operated out of Nassau.

Immigration was a powerful factor in the growth of the Bahamas, with it being seen as a prime destination for refugees from Cuba, the French Antilles, and the Atlantic United States to escape to. A sizeable minority of French speakers, escaping from Guadelope and Martinique, established themselves in the Bahamas, bringing their culture and language with them. Today, native French speakers make up about 12% of the population.

In 2012, the island nation boasted a GDP (PPP) of 8.43 Billion.

Military
The Bahamas has no formal military of its own. It is instead serviced and protected by the East Caribbean Federation military forces.