巴哈马的政府与政治

其他国家象征

• 国花

  黄花风铃木或黄雪松(Tecoma stans)

  花在夏末/初秋盛开。

• Coat of Arms

  The Bahamas’ coat of arms is a composition of things indigenous to these islands, while the motto “Forward Upward Onward Together” heralds to the direction and manner in which the Bahamian nation should move. The crest of the arms, a light pink conch shell, symbolises the marine life of The Bahamas. The top of the crest is composed of wavy green palm fronds, symbolic of the natural vegetation. The Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus, appears on the shield of the coat of arms. Wavy barrulets of blue symbolise the waters of The Bahamas. The shield is charged with a resplendent or radiant sun to signify the world-famous balmy resort climate, and it also connotes the bright future of these islands. A flamingo, the national bird, and a silvery blue marlin support the shield. The national motto is draped across the base of the coat of arms. 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. Bahamian artist Hervis Bain prepared the preliminary design of the coat of arms.

• National Fish

  Blue Marlin

  The blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) is the majestic fish that is found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with reports of the largest sizes found in the latter. However, many persons first encounter the fish in Ernest Hemingway’s book “Old Man and the Sea.” Mr. Hemingway was a frequent visitor to The Bahamas, especially the island of Bimini, where the blue marlin is highly prized among the strong game-fishing community. The blue marlin, a relative of the sailfish and swordfish, is easily recognizable for the long “sword” or spike of its upper jaw, its high and pointed dorsal fin, and pointed anal fin. It is said that the fish uses its “sword” to club other fish on which it feeds. The marlin’s back is cobalt blue and its flanks and underbelly are silvery white. There may be light-blue or lavender vertical stripes on the sides as well. A powerful and aggressive fighter, the blue marlin can run hard and long, sound or dive deep, and leap high into the air in a display of strength.

• 国鸟

  Flamingo

  红色、长腿的火烈鸟在西印度地区的三个主要筑巢群落中被发现,大伊纳瓜岛是其中之一(其他的位于墨西哥的尤卡坦半岛和荷属安的列斯的博内尔岛)。栖息在伊纳瓜287平方英里荒野中的超过50,000只鸟类由巴哈马火烈鸟保护协会通过巴哈马国家信托(一个1959年成立的法定机构)雇用的看管员保护。 玫瑰红鹳或西印度火烈鸟(学名:红鹳)曾经也在阿巴科岛、安德罗斯岛、朗姆岛、埃克苏马岛群、长岛、破碎岛群、阿克林岛、玛雅瓜纳岛和特克斯凯科斯群岛进行繁殖。然而,包括人类活动在内的多个因素导致了它们数量的减少。波士顿自然历史协会的鸟类馆长查尔斯·B·科里在19世纪末写道,大量幼鸟在能够飞行之前就被杀死,许多活的幼鸟被带走出售给过往的船只,它们在船上因缺乏照顾而死亡。如今,主要得益于政府和国家信托的行动,火烈鸟正在恢复。

• 国树

  铁木(生命之树)

  铁木,意为生命之树,属于愈疮木属(蒺藜科或牙通科),是巴哈马的国树。 这种极其坚硬沉重、自我润滑的木材特别适合用于轮船螺旋桨轴的轴承或衬套,也用于钢铁厂的轴承、保龄球和滑轮。从第二次世界大战开始的许多年里,巴哈马的老牌新普罗维登斯公司邓库姆和巴特勒公司定期向英国和美国运送这种木材。 除了工业用途外,树皮还被用于医疗目的,许多巴哈马群岛的居民将树皮浸泡并饮用,作为增强能量和催情的补品。