View source for Local government in the Bahamas

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{{EngvarB|date=December 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}

{{Politics of the Bahamas|}}

[[Local government]] in [[the Bahamas]] exists at two levels: 32 districts and 41 towns. The boundaries of districts are defined by the First Schedule of [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996]] (as amended by law and declarations of the Minister responsible for Family Island Affairs),<ref>[https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1996/1996-0005/1996-0005_2.pdf Chapter 37, Local Government, Statute Law of the Bahamas]</ref><ref name="A">{{cite web|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-americas/bahamas/|title=The Local Government System in the Bahamas|work=Commonwealth Local Government Forum}}</ref> defined with reference to parliamentary constituency boundaries. The Second Schedule lists 13 districts which are divided into [[town area]]s. Towns are governed by directly elected town committees.<ref>Chapter 37, Part III, Statute Law of the Bahamas.</ref> Second Schedule districts are governed by nine-person district councils composed of the chairs of the town committees, and if numerically required, additional people elected by the town committees.<ref>Chapter 37, Part IV, Statute Law of the Bahamas.</ref> The 19 Third Schedule districts are [[unitary authorities]] which cannot be divided into towns.<ref>Chapter 37, Part III, Statute Law of the Bahamas.</ref> They are governed by nine-person district councils which are directly elected by voters.<ref>Chapter 37, Part IV, Statute Law of the Bahamas.</ref> The powers of Second Schedule and Third Schedule councils are slightly different, and the Third Schedule district known as the [[Freeport, Bahamas|City of Freeport]] has a slightly different list of enumerated powers.<ref>Chapter 37, Section 14, Statute Law of the Bahamas.</ref>

At the national level, local government policy is formulated and administered by the Department of Lands and Local Government through the Office of the [[Prime Minister of the Bahamas|Prime Minister]]. The day-to-day policy handling of the portfolio falls to the Minister of Local Government who also is empowered to modify the list and boundaries of districts. Administrative and financial management of local government is overseen by the ministry's [[permanent secretary]].<ref name="A1">{{cite web|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-americas/bahamas/|title=The Local Government System in the Bahamas:Ministerial oversight|work=Commonwealth Local Government Forum}}</ref>

==History==
Local government previously existed in the Bahamas in the form of appointed "Board of Works". Here towns and villages held their influence over these Board of Works, but almost all final decisions were made by the [[central government]] through that islands' [[Commissioner]]. The modern system of local government that is in use today was created by the [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996|8 March 1996]]. The [[Out Islands]] of the country could now enjoy a somewhat greater degree of autonomy, but [[New Providence Island]], in which the capital city [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] is located, was to be directly governed by the central government. The Act defines the form of government in each district by listing it on either its Second Schedule or its Third Schedule.<ref name="NEW">{{cite web | title=West Indies | work=The Hope Town District Council | url=http://www.hopetowncouncil.com/?page_id=46 | access-date=27 November 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026165416/http://www.hopetowncouncil.com/?page_id=46 | archive-date=26 October 2011 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Districts of the Bahamas (Labeled).png|thumb|right|600px|Map of the districts of the Bahamas]]

==Districts==
The '''Districts of the Bahamas''' provide a system of [[local government]] everywhere in [[the Bahamas]] except [[New Providence]] (where [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] the capital is located, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government). The current system dates from 1996 when 23 [[district]]s were created by [[The Bahamas Local Government Act of 1996]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/Parliamentary+Dept--Laws+and+Acts--Parliamentary+Laws+and+Acts!OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3 |title=Laws and Acts |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> The districts were last defined according to the Local Government Act 2024, keeping in place the 33 districts existing at that time.<ref name="Tribune"/><ref name="DLG">{{cite web |title=Local Government Act |url=https://www.dlg.gov.bs/local-government-act |website=Department of Local Government |access-date=26 June 2025}}</ref> This act also increased the financial autonomy of the districts by allowing them to raise their own revenue through taxes, fees and grants.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite web |last1=Rolle |first1=Rashad |title=Sweeting calls tabled local govt bill ‘pivotal milestone’ |url=https://www.tribune242.com/news/2024/nov/07/sweeting-calls-tabled-local-govt-bill-pivotal-milestone/?news |website=The Tribune |publisher=Eileen Dupuch Carron |access-date=26 June 2025}}</ref>

Since the creation of the system, the question of local government for New Providence has been debated. The Minister responsible for Family Island Affairs has the power to create one or more districts for all or part of New Providence by decree.<ref name="DLG"/>

The Second Schedule districts are:
* [[North Abaco]]
* [[Central Abaco]]
* [[South Abaco]]
* [[North Andros]]
* [[Central Andros]]
* [[South Andros]]
* [[Cat Island, Bahamas|Cat Island]]
* [[Central Eleuthera]]
* [[South Eleuthera]]
* [[Exuma]]
* [[East Grand Bahama]]
* [[West Grand Bahama]]
* [[Long Island, Bahamas|Long Island]]

The Third Schedule districts are:
* [[Acklins]]
* [[Berry Islands]]
* [[Bimini]]
* [[City of Freeport]]
* [[Crooked Island, Bahamas|Crooked Island]] & [[Long Cay]]
* Exuma Cays (formerly [[Black Point, Bahamas|Black Point]])
* [[Grand Cay]]
* Great Abaco Cays (formerly [[Hope Town District Council|Hope Town]])
* Green Turtle Cay
* [[Harbour Island, Bahamas|Harbour Island]]
* [[Inagua]]
* [[Mangrove Cay]]
* [[Mayaguana]]
* [[Moore's Island]]
* [[North Eleuthera]]
* [[Ragged Island, Bahamas|Ragged Island]]
* [[Rum Cay]]
* [[San Salvador Island|San Salvador]]
* [[Spanish Wells]]
* Sweeting's Cay

=== [[New Providence]] ===
There are 24 Supervisory Districts.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Supervisory district
!Population
(2022)<ref name=":0" />
!Male
!Female
|-
|Bain and Grants Town
|10,361
|4,996
|5,365
|-
|Bamboo Town
|13,965
|6,734
|7,231
|-
|Carmichael
|11,931
|5,753
|6,178
|-
|Centreville
|12,817
|6,180
|6,637
|-
|Elizabeth
|13,468
|6,494
|6,974
|-
|Englerston
|12,082
|5,826
|6,256
|-
|Freetown
|12,943
|6,241
|6,702
|-
|[[Fort Charlotte (Nassau)|Fort Charlotte]]
|10,809
|5,212
|5,597
|-
|[[Fox Hill, Bahamas|Fox Hill]]
|13,855
|6,681
|7,174
|-
|Garden Hills
|10,423
|5,026
|5,397
|-
|Golden Gates
|9,924
|4,785
|5,139
|-
|Golden Isles
|16,220
|7,821
|8,399
|-
|Killarney
|17,679
|8,525
|9,154
|-
|Marathon
|11,788
|5,684
|6,104
|-
|Mount Moriah
|10,338
|4,985
|5,353
|-
|[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] Village
|11,717
|5,650
|6,067
|-
|Pinewood
|10,666
|5,143
|5,523
|-
|Sea Breeze
|12,682
|6,115
|6,567
|-
|South Beach
|12,292
|5,927
|6,365
|-
|Southern Shores
|12,831
|6,187
|6,644
|-
|St Annes
|13,037
|6,286
|6,751
|-
|St Barnabas
|10,570
|5,097
|5,473
|-
|Tall Pines
|15,135
|7,298
|7,837
|-
|Yamacraw
|8,988
|4,334
|4,654
|-
![[New Providence]]
!296,521
!142,980
!153,541
|-
![[The Bahamas]]
!398,916
!192,546
!206,370
|}

===Demographics===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
|-
! District(s) or Other Area !! Island Group 
!Population
(2022)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Census of The Bahamas 2022 |url=https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/c0d9fae8-54df-49e3-b4b9-92e29e0b264c/2022+CENSUS+PRELIMINARY+RESULTS_FINAL+April+12+2023.pdf?MOD=AJPERES}}</ref>
!Male
!Female!! Largest City
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Acklins]] 
|692
|334
| 358|| Salina Point
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Berry Islands]] 
|1,016
|490
|526|| [[Great Harbour Cay]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Bimini]] 
|2,418
|1,166
|1,252|| [[Alice Town]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Cat Island, Bahamas|Cat Island]]
|1,601
|772
| 829|| [[New Bight Airport|New Bight]]
|-
|[[Central Grand Bahama]] 
([[Constituencies of the Bahamas|parliamentary constituency]] in [[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]])
|[[Grand Bahama]]
|11,496
|5,543
|5,953
|[[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Crooked Island, Bahamas|Crooked Island]]
|305
|147
| 158|| Landrial Point
|-
| [[East Grand Bahama]]|| [[Grand Bahama]]
|11,011
|5,502
|5,509|| Pelican Point
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Exuma]] + [[Black Point, Bahamas|Black Point]]
|7,293
|3,517
| 3,776|| [[George Town, Bahamas|George Town]] 
|-
| [[Harbour Island, Bahamas|Harbour Island]]|| [[Eleuthera]]
|1,861
|897
| 964|| [[Dunmore Town]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Inagua]]
|856
|413
| 443|| [[Matthew Town]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Long Island, Bahamas|Long Island]]
|2,887
|1,392
| 1,495|| Burnt Ground
|-
|[[Marco City]] ([[Constituencies of the Bahamas|parliamentary constituency]] in [[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]])
|[[Grand Bahama]]
|10,527
|5,076
|5,451
|[[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Mayaguana]]
|208
|100
| 108|| [[Abraham's Bay]]
|-
! colspan="2" |[[New Providence]]
!296,521
!142,980
!153,541
![[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]]
|-
| [[North Abaco]] + [[Grand Cay]] + [[Green Turtle Cay]] + [[Hope Town]]
| [[Abaco Islands|Abaco]]
|10,057
|4,849
| 5,208|| [[Treasure Cay]]
|-
| [[North Andros]]|| [[Andros, Bahamas|Andros]]
|4,069
|1,962
| 2,107|| [[Nicholls Town]]
|-
| [[North Eleuthera]]|| [[Eleuthera]]
|3,923
|1,892
| 2,031|| [[The Bluff, Bahamas|The Bluff]]
|-
|[[Pineridge (Bahamas Parliament constituency)|Pineridge]] ([[Constituencies of the Bahamas|parliamentary constituency]] in [[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]])
|[[Grand Bahama]]
|8,082
|3,897
|4,185
|[[Freeport, Bahamas|Freeport]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Ragged Island, Bahamas|Ragged Island]]
|44
|21
|23|| [[Duncan Town Airport|Duncan Town]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Rum Cay]]
|90
|43
| 47|| [[Rum Cay|Port Nelson]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[San Salvador Island|San Salvador]]
|825
|398
| 427|| [[Cockburn Town, Bahamas|Cockburn Town]]
|-
| [[South Abaco]] + [[Central Abaco]] + [[Moore's Island]]
| [[Abaco Islands|Abaco]]
|6,530
|3,149
| 3,381|| [[Marsh Harbour]]
|-
| [[South Andros]] + [[Central Andros]] + [[Mangrove Cay]]
| [[Andros, Bahamas|Andros]]
|3,711
|1,789
| 1,922|| Moxey Town
|-
| [[South Eleuthera]] + [[Central Eleuthera]]
| [[Eleuthera]] 
|5,324
|2,567
| 2,757|| [[Rock Sound, Bahamas|Rock Sound]]
|-
| [[Spanish Wells]] || [[Eleuthera]]
|1,609
|776
| 833|| [[Spanish Wells]]
|-
| [[West Grand Bahama]] || [[Grand Bahama]] 
|5,960
|2,874
|3,086|| [[West End, Bahamas|West End]]
|-
! colspan="2" |[[The Bahamas]]
!398,916
!192,546
!206,370
!'''[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] (Capital)'''
|}

==Towns==
{{incomplete list|date=January 2024}}
As of the 2022 local elections, the town areas of the Bahamas include:<ref>[https://www.elections.gov.bs/local-government-2022-form-r-results-town-committees/ Local Government 2022 FORM R Results Town Committees]</ref>
* Cat Island District
** Arthur's Town
** The Bight
* Central Abaco District
** Marsh Harbour and Spring City
** Murphy Town
** Dundas Town
* Central Andros District
** Behring Point and Cargill Creek
** Fresh Creek
** Staniard Creek
* Central Eleuthera District
** Gregory Town
** Savannah Sound
** James Cistern Town
** Hatchet Bay
* East Grand Bahama District
** McCleans Town and Pelican Point
** Freetown
* Exuma District
** East Exuma
** West Exuma
* Long Island District
** North End
* North Abaco District
** Little Abaco
** Cooper's Town
** Treasure Cay
* North Andros District
** Lowe Sound
** Nicholls Town
** Mastic Point
* South Abaco District
** Crossing Rock
** Sandy Point
* South Andros District
** Deep Creek
** Kemp's Bay
** The Bluff
** Long Bay Cays
* South Eleuthera District
** Wemyss Bight
* West Grand Bahama District
** Eight Mile Rock West
** Pinder's Point

==Types of councils==

Every district in the Bahamas, with the exception of New Providence, has a district council.<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, Section 10:1 Retrieved 27 November 2010.</ref> A district council is a corporate body with [[perpetual succession]]; capable of entering into contracts, of suing and being sued, of acquiring, holding, leasing and disposing of property of any description, and of doing all such things and entering into such transactions that are within the scope of the ''Local Government Act.''<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:2 Retrieved 27 November 2010.</ref> District Councillors are elected by the population of that district in accordance with [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996|Local Government Act]].<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:4 Retrieved 27 November 2010.</ref> As stated in [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996]], Districts councillors shall within two weeks of their election, elect from among themselves a Chief Councillor.<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11 Retrieved 27 November 2010.</ref> The Chief Councillor is the representative of a Districts Council for all affairs and presides over all meetings and also themselves co-ordinate these meetings.<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11:2 Retrieved 27 November 2010.</ref>

All districts councils are classed as first-schedule councils. The first-schedule is further sub-divided into two types of councils: two tier second-schedule district councils that have town committees within their jurisdiction, and [[Unitary authority|unitary]] third-tier district councils.<ref name="A2">{{cite web|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-americas/bahamas/|title=The Local Government System in the Bahamas:Council Types|work=Commonwealth Local Government Forum}}</ref> Second-schedule districts have the following statutory boards and committees''':'''

* Road Traffic Licensing Authority
* Port and Harbour Authority
* Hotel Licensing Board
* Liquor and Shop Licensing
* Town Planning Committee

Town committees are sub-structures of the second-schedule district councils, but are also corporate bodies themselves. They share responsibility with second-schedule district councils for a number of the schedule local government functions. They also have statutory responsibility for local regulation and licensing within their jurisdiction.<ref name="A3">{{cite web|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-americas/bahamas|title=The Local Government System in the Bahamas:Council Types:Second-schedule District Councils&Town Committees|work=Commonwealth Local Government Forum}}</ref> Third-schedule districts councils are unique within the Bahamas because they combine the responsibilities of the second-schedule districts and of the town committees. Both second- and third-schedule district councils carry out a building control function.<ref name="A4">{{cite web|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-americas/bahamas/|title=The Local Government System in the Bahamas:Council Types:Third-Schedule Districts|work=Commonwealth Local Government Forum}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="font-size:90%; width:650px; margin:auto;"
|+  style="text-align:center; background:#bfd7ff;"| '''Distribution of councils and population (2022 Census)'''
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! style="text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|[[Islands of the Bahamas|Island Group]]
!align="left"|2nd tier
!align="left"| 3rd tier
!align="right"|Town
(+1,000)
!align="right"|Population<ref name=":0" />
|- align=left
| [[New Providence]]
| 0
| 0
| 1
| 296,521
|- align=left
| [[Abaco, Bahamas|Abaco islands]]
| 2
| 0
|4
| 16,587
|- align=left
| [[Acklins]]
| 0
| 1
|0
|692
|- align=left
| [[Andros, Bahamas|Andros Island]]
| 2
| 0
|0
|7,780
|- align=left
| [[Berry Islands]]
| 0
| 1
|0
|1,016
|- align=left
| [[Bimini]]
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 2,418
|- align=left
| [[Cat Island, Bahamas|Cat Island]]
| 1
| 0
| 0
| 1,601
|- align=left
| [[Crooked Island, Bahamas|Crooked Island]]
|0
|1
| 0
|305
|- align=left
| [[Grand Bahama]] 
| 2
| 3
|2
| 47,076
|- align="left"
| [[Eleuthera]]
| 2
| 2
|  2
| 12,717
|- align="left"
| [[Exuma|Exuma and Cays]]
| 1
| 0
|1
| 7,293
|- align="left"
| [[Inagua]]
| 0 
| 1
| 0
| 856
|- align="left"
| [[Long Island, Bahamas|Long Island]]
| 1
| 0
|0
| 2,887
|- align="left"
| [[Mayaguana]]
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 208
|- align="left"
| [[Ragged Island, Bahamas|Ragged Island]]
| 0
| 1
| 0
| 44
|- align="left"
| [[Rum Cay]]
| 0
| 1
|0
| 90
|- align="left"
| [[San Salvador Island|San Salvador]]
| 0
| 1
|0
| 825
|- align=center
|- class="sortbottom" bgcolor="#BFD7FF" style="text-align:center;"
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| '''TOTAL'''
|  style="background:#bfd7ff; text-align:left;"| '''13'''
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| '''19'''
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| 
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| '''351,461'''
|- align=center
|}

==Elections==

Local government elections take place once every three years in the Bahamas<ref name="A5">{{cite news| first= Gena| last= Gibbs| title= Local Government holds national elections in Family Islands|work= Bahamas Information Services| date= 25 June 2011|url=http://www.thebahamasweekly.com/publish/bis-newsupdates/Local_Government_holds_national_elections_in_Family_Islands16610.shtml}}</ref> with the most recent elections taking place on 27 January  2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/dec/09/january-27-local-elections/|last=Russell|first=Khrisna|title=January 27 for local elections|newspaper=Tribune|location=Nassau|date=9 December 2021|access-date=6 January 2024|language=en}}</ref> The 2020 elections were postponed due to [[COVID-19]] until Emergency Power Orders were lifted.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bahamaslocal.com/newsitem/243833/Ministry_of_Transport_and_Local_Government_announces_the_postponement_of_Local_Government_Elections.html |last=BahamasLocal |title=Ministry of Transport and Local Government announces the postponement of Local Government Elections |date=2 June 2020 |access-date=6 January 2024}}</ref> The voting system used in local government elections is the [[first-past-the-post]] system. Both councillors of third-schedule district councils and members of town committees are directly elected, while members of second-schedule councils are indirectly elected from town committees. Third schedule district councils have between five and nine members, whereas the size of councils in both second-schedule councils and town committees varies according to population size. [[By election]]s are held whenever the need arises. A councillor is deemed to have resigned if they are absent for three consecutive meetings.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

For both types of district councils the [[Chief Councillor]]s and their deputies are indirectly elected from amongst the elected officials. They serve for the lifetime of the council and the Minister of Local Government determines their [[stipend]]. Second-schedule district councils' statutory boards also elect chairpersons and their deputies from amongst their members.<ref name="A6">{{cite web|url=http://www.clgf.org.uk/regions/clgf-americas/bahamas|title=The Local Government System in the Bahamas:Elections|work=Commonwealth Local Government Forum}}</ref>

== Major islands ==
{| class="wikitable"  style="width:420px; margin:auto; font-size:90%;"
|-
|+  style="text-align:center; background:#bfd7ff;"| Reference map for the Islands of the Bahamas<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/bahamas.gif |title=Reference map for the Islands of the Bahamas |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref>
|-
|align=left| {{Image label begin|image=Map of the Bahamas-2010.png|width=630|float=none
  |alt=.}}
{{Image label small|x=0.5|y=0.37|scale=400|text=[[New Providence|New<br>Providence]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.4|y=0.49|scale=400|text=[[Andros Island|Andros]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.2|y=0.35|scale=400|text=[[Bimini]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.36|y=0.32|scale=400|text=[[Berry Islands|The Berry<br>Islands]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.54|y=0.54|scale=800|text=[[Inagua]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.48|y=0.4|scale=800|text=[[Crooked Island, Bahamas|Crooked<br>Island]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.53|y=0.44|scale=800|text=[[Acklins]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.6|y=0.44|scale=800|text=[[Mayaguana]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.1|y=0.9|scale=59|text=[[Florida|Florida (USA)]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.59|y=0.17|scale=400|text=[[Abaco Islands]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.25|y=0.18|scale=400|text=[[Grand Bahama]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.67|y=0.49|scale=800|text=[[Turks and Caicos Islands|Turks and Caicos Islands (UK)]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.68|y=0.64|scale=400|text=[[Exuma]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.89|y=0.7|scale=400|text=[[Long Island, Bahamas|Long<br>Island]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.78|y=0.85|scale=400|text=[[Ragged Island, Bahamas|Ragged Island]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.4|y=0.99|scale=400|text=[[Cuba]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.8|y=0.54|scale=400|text=[[Cat Island, Bahamas|Cat Island]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.505|y=0.3|scale=800|text=[[San Salvador Island|San Salvador]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.478|y=0.325|scale=800|text=[[Rum Cay]]}}
{{Image label small|x=0.68|y=0.38|scale=400|text=[[Eleuthera]]}}
{{Image label end}}
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"  style="font-size:90%; width:650px; margin:auto;"
|+  style="text-align:center; background:#bfd7ff;"| '''Islands of the Bahamas'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/BB6D1EC9658AE55606256ED3005CAAE7 |title=The Commonwealth of the Bahamas |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref>
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!align="left"|Island's name
!align="left"|[[List of Australian capital cities|Capital]] (or largest settlement)
!align="right"|Population
!align="right"|Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Abaco Islands|Abaco]] ||align=left| [[Marsh Harbour]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahamasbeachfrontvilla.com/Abaco-TreasureCay-Bahamas.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320204641/http://www.bahamasbeachfrontvilla.com/Abaco-TreasureCay-Bahamas.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2008 |title=DeBora's Dreamscape |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 17,224 ||align=right| 1,681
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Acklins]] ||align=left| [[Spring Point, Bahamas|Spring Point]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahamasb2b.com/travel/bahamas-activities.php?island=Acklins |title=Acklins / Crooked Island Activities and Attractions |access-date=20 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324064238/http://www.bahamasb2b.com/travel/bahamas-activities.php?island=Acklins |archive-date=24 March 2006 }}</ref> ||align=right| 565 ||align=right| 497
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Andros Island|Andros]] ||align=left| [[Andros Town]] ||align=right| 7,490||align=right| 5,957
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Berry Islands]] ||align=left| [[Nicholls Town]] ||align=right|807 ||align=right| 31
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Bimini]] ||align=left| [[Alice Town]] ||align=right| 1,988||align=right| 23
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Cat Island, Bahamas|Cat Island]] ||align=left| [[Arthur's Town]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.majesticholidays.com/-dest-CATN-.htm |title=Majestic Holidays |access-date=20 December 2010 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522023646/http://www.majesticholidays.com/-dest-CATN-.htm |archive-date=22 May 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 1,522||align=right| 389
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Crooked Island (Bahamas)|Crooked Island]] ||align=left| [[Colonel Hill]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-bahama-islands.com/acklins.html |title=Acklins Island and Crooked Island, Bahamas |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 330||align=right| 241
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Eleuthera]] ||align=left| [[Governor's Harbour]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eleuthera.com/medlocation.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627042240/http://www.eleuthera.com/medlocation.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 June 2007 |title=Med Point |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 8,202||align=right| 484 
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Exuma and Cays]] ||align=left| [[George Town, Bahamas|George Town]] ||align=right| 6,928||align=right| 250
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Grand Bahama]] ||align=left| [[Freeport City]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grandbahama.com/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121129114732/http://www.grandbahama.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 November 2012 |title=Grand Bahama - an impartial guide to the Island |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 51,368||align=right| 1,373 
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Harbour Island, Bahamas|Harbour Island]] ||align=left| [[Dunmore Town]]||align=right| 1,762||align=right| 8
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Inagua]] ||align=left| [[Matthew Town]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theinaguas.com/history.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060620005627/http://www.theinaguas.com/history.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 June 2006 |title=The Inaguas |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 913||align=right| 1,551
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Long Island, Bahamas|Long Island]] ||align=left| [[Clarence Town]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahamasgateway.com/hotel_yellow12.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020817053618/http://www.bahamasgateway.com/hotel_yellow12.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 August 2002 |title=Bahamas Gateway Yellow Pages -- Hotels  |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 3,094||align=right| 596
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Mayaguana]] ||align=left| [[Abraham's Bay]] ||align=right|277|| align=right |285
|- align=center
|align=left| [[New Providence]] ||align=left| [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] ||align=right| 248,329||align=right| 207
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Ragged Island, Bahamas|Ragged]] ||align=left| [[List of cities in the Bahamas|Duncan Town]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bahamasbeachfrontvilla.com/RaggedIslandBahamas.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322002625/http://www.bahamasbeachfrontvilla.com/RaggedIslandBahamas.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 March 2008 |title=DeBora's Dreamscape |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 72||align=right| 36
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Rum Cay]] ||align=left|[[Rum Cay|Port Nelson]] ||align=right| 99||align=right| 78
|- align=center
|align=left| [[San Salvador Island|San Salvador]] ||align=left| [[List of cities in the Bahamas|Cockburn Town]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thebahamasguide.com/islands/sansalvador/default.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912153222/http://www.thebahamasguide.com/islands/sansalvador/default.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2012 |title=San Salvador Bahamas: Christopher Columbus First Landfall |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref> ||align=right| 940||align=right| 163
|- align=center
|align=left| [[Spanish Wells]] ||align=left| [[Spanish Wells]]||align=right| 1,551||align=right| 26
|- class="sortbottom" bgcolor="#BFD7FF" style="text-align:center;"
|  style="background:#bfd7ff; text-align:left;"| [[File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg|30px]] '''[[The Bahamas]]'''
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| '''[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]]'''
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| '''351,461'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://statistics.bahamas.gov.bs/download/095485600.pdf |title=Comparison between the 2000 and 2010 Population Censuses and Percentage Change |access-date=20 December 2010 }}</ref>
| style="background:#bfd7ff;"| '''13,943'''
|}

==See also==
*[[Chief Councillor]]
*[[Hope Town District Council]]
*[[List of National Assembly constituencies of The Bahamas]]
*[[ISO 3166-2:BS]]
*[[List of Caribbean First-level Subdivisions by Total Area]]
*[[List of newspapers in the Bahamas]]
*[[Commonwealth Local Government Forum|Commonwealth Local Government Forum-Americas]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/ Bahamas Official government website]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/A5FB7665F3E4341306256F0000763055|title=Family Island District Councillors & Town Committee Members|access-date=11 Nov 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114034208/http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/A5FB7665F3E4341306256F0000763055|archive-date=14 Nov 2009}}

{{Bahamas topics|state=uncollapsed}}
{{Local Government in the Bahamas}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of North American countries}}
{{Americas topic|Administrative divisions of}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Political Divisions Of The Bahamas}}
[[Category:Districts of the Bahamas| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of the Bahamas]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Bahamas, Districts]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in North America|Bahamas 1]]
[[Category:Bahamas politics-related lists|Government]]
[[Category:Bahamas geography-related lists]]