7.1 The Bahamas is a group of islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean extending from the east coast of Florida in the north-west towards Haiti in the south-east. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. The head of State is HM Queen Elizabeth II who is represented in the Bahamas by the Governor General. The government is comprised of a lower house known as the House of Assembly and an upper house known as the Senate. The head of government is the Prime Minister. The local currency is the Bahamian dollar (B$).