On July 10, 1973, The Bahamas became a free and sovereign country, ending 325 years of peaceful
British rule. The Bahamas is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and we celebrate July
10th is Bahamian Independence Day.
The Bahamas is comprised of 700 islands sprinkled over 100,000 square miles of ocean starting with just 50
miles off the coast of Florida.
 The National Anthem was composed by Timothy Gibson and adopted in 1973.
 The Pledge of Allegiance was written by Rev Dr. Phillip Rahming.
 The Coat of Arms was designed by Bahamian artist, Hervis Bain.
 There was a national competition to produce the motto for the coat of arms, and the
competition was won by two 11-year-old schoolchildren:
- Vivian F. Moultrie of Inagua Public School, and
Melvern B. Bowe of the Government High School in Nassau.