Introduction Page For The Bahamas

The Bahamas could more accurately be called the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.  The Bahamas consists of 29 islands, the capital being Nassau, located in the Atlantic Ocean, south of the US and north of Cuba.The most well-known islands are Grand Bahama, Cat Island, Abaco Island, New Providence, and Eleuthera Island. The size of this country is almost 14,000 kilometers with an estimated population of 330,000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_the_Bahamas

The culture of the Bahamas is related to other cultures as many countries are, however the Bahamas were influenced by some southern states of the US, Britain, Africa, and other cultures throughout the Caribbean Basin. The Bahamas are a very religious country. It is also known as “a Christian nation” having the highest number of churches per capita in the world.

From an American point of view, the Bahamas are seen as a vacation spot. This country has become very commercialized mostly because of all the tourists.

A brief historical outline of the Bahamas describing its development begin with Christopher Columbus who first landed on a western  island of the Bahamas in 1492 and traded with the native Lucayans. Unfortunately the following Spaniards decimated the population with slave trade and infectious diseases. In the search for religious freedom a puritan group called Eleutherian Adventurers formed the first European colony in 1647. During the 1700′s pirates used the Bahamas as hideouts and storage for their belongings because of the isolated cays. This lead to Woodes Rodgers becoming the first royal Governor of the Bahamas. He established firm order and eliminated pirate activity in the Bahamas.

The Bahamas is an independent, English-speaking country that rose out of colonization by Britain, pirating, and slavery. From these shaky beginnings came the diverse people, culture, and music of today.

http://www.folkways.si.edu/radio/player.html

http://www.folkways.si.edu/explore_folkways/video_caribbean.aspx