BGCSE Social Studies study guide
BGCSE Social Studies · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) Social Studies is a national secondary-school qualification taken by students in The Bahamas, usually near the end of compulsory schooling. It is designed for candidates who have studied the Bahamian social studies curriculum and who need a recognised record of their understanding of their country and region for graduation, further study, training or employment. The BGCSE Social Studies study guide has 8 sections and about 2,570 words.
01The Bahamas: Physical Geography and Environment
The Bahamas is an archipelago of roughly 700 islands and 2,000 cays lying in the Atlantic Ocean , north of Cuba and east of Florida - not in the Caribbean Sea, which is a favourite exam trap. Only a small number of islands are permanently inhabited.
358 words, about 2 min02Bahamian History and Heritage
The Lucayans, a Taino/Arawak people, migrated north from South America through the Greater Antilles and settled these islands from about the seventh century. Columbus made landfall on 12 October 1492 at Guanahani, now identified with San Salvador.
302 words, about 2 min03Population, Settlement and Migration
A census counts everyone and is normally taken every ten years. Population change has three parts: births, deaths and migration.
315 words, about 2 min04Economic Activity and Development
Economic activity is grouped into primary (fishing, farming, mining, salt, aragonite), secondary (processing, manufacturing, construction, brewing) and tertiary (tourism, financial services, retail, transport). In The Bahamas the tertiary sector dominates, with tourism typically contributing close to half of GDP and employing a large share of the workforce, and offshore financial services the second pillar.
325 words, about 2 min05Government, Law and Citizenship
The Bahamas is an independent constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The Governor-General represents the Crown and gives assent to bills.
323 words, about 2 min06Social Institutions and Culture
A social institution is an established pattern of behaviour organised around a basic need: the family, education, religion, the economy, government and health care. Socialisation is the lifelong process of learning norms, values and roles.
329 words, about 2 min07The Caribbean and Regional Integration
Geographically the Caribbean is the Caribbean Sea, its islands and the mainland around it. The Bahamas lies in the Atlantic, outside the Caribbean Sea, but is treated as part of the wider Caribbean culturally and politically through history, migration and regional organisations.
312 words, about 2 min08Global Issues and International Relations
The Bahamas became a member of the United Nations in 1973, the year of independence. It also belongs to the Commonwealth, the Organisation of American States, the World Trade Organization and the Alliance of Small Island States, and works with the IMF and World Bank.
306 words, about 2 min