Bahamas

An archipelago nation of more than 700 islands, the Bahamas covers 100,000 square miles along the edge of the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The islands gained their independence from the British in 1973 but remains part of the Commonwealth, though proposed reforms to create a presidential democracy have been a persistent feature of national politics. The State has been widely criticised for its policies towards, and treatment of, Haitian refugees in recent years, as well as for the pervasiveness of child labour within the country and the inadequacy of the juvenile justice system.