The Bahamas is a domestically recognized state that comprises a series of islands that form an archipelago.
An archipelagic state is any internationally recognized state or country that comprises a series of islands that form an archipelago . The Bahamas ( [ bəˈhɑːməz ] ) , known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas , is an archipelagic state within the Lucayan Archipelago . It consists of more than 700 islands , cays , and islets in the Atlantic Ocean and is located north of Cuba and Hispaniola ( Haiti and the Dominican Republic ) ; northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands ; southeast of the US state of Florida and east of the Florida Keys .