The Bahamas: Physical Geography and Natural Environments
What you must know
The Bahamas is an archipelago of about 700 islands and 2,000 cays on two shallow submarine platforms, the Great Bahama Bank and the Little Bahama Bank. The islands are low-lying: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island, at about 63 m, is the highest point. Most rock is limestone, formed from the calcium carbonate skeletons of corals, molluscs and algae. Because limestone is porous and permeable, rainwater drains quickly underground, so surface rivers are almost absent. Instead you find blue holes, cenotes and caves formed by solution. The climate is tropical savanna, with a wet season roughly May to October and a dry season November to April, and it lies in the hurricane belt.
Concepts to master
Know the difference between weather and climate; between karst and volcanic landforms; and between the two banks and the deep channels (Tongue of the Ocean, Providence Channels) that separate them. Understand how reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves protect coastlines and act as nurseries, and why pine forests (Caribbean pine) and coppice woodland reflect rainfall and soil depth.
Traps in questions
Do not call the Bahamas volcanic or mountainous; do not claim it has many permanent rivers. A question asking why water is scarce wants the limestone permeability answer, not simply 'little rain'. Distinguish hurricanes (a weather hazard) from earthquakes and tsunamis (tectonic, and rare here). Do not confuse the banks with the islands.
Rule of thumb
For any 'why is there no surface water?' question, chain: limestone → porous and permeable → rapid infiltration → underground drainage → blue holes and caves. Use this chain and you will earn the marks.