| If you are looking for tranquil peace | | | | the cotton plantations until 1834, when |
| the Bahamas is the right option for you. | | | | Britain abolished slavery in all its |
| Most of the Bahamian population is black | | | | territories. Most white residents of are |
| at about 85% and the next largest | | | | descendants of the first English |
| population group are whites at 12%. | | | | settlers, who emigrated from Bermuda in |
| Other minorities include Hispanics and | | | | 1647 to gain religious freedom. Some are |
| Asians at 3%. Many Bahamian whites are | | | | also related to the Loyalists who fled |
| concentrated on Harbour Island, Abaco | | | | the southern United States during the |
| Island, Spanish Wells, Harbour Island, | | | | American Revolution and built enormous |
| Montagu bay, and the Long Islands | | | | plantations here.Religion is an |
| district of New Providence. There are | | | | important and integral part of Bahamian |
| also a significant number of noncitizen | | | | life. Even the tiniest village has a |
| white expatriates from Europe and the | | | | church, sometimes two. The people's |
| United States.The Commonwealth of the | | | | religious ardor and high regard for |
| Bahamas is an independent | | | | education are evidence of their Puritan |
| English-speaking nation in the West | | | | heritage, derived from the Eleutheran |
| Indies. An archipelago of 700 islands | | | | Adventurers. Music is also very popular |
| and cays (which are small islands), the | | | | and is in the very bones of the people. |
| Bahamas is located in the Atlantic | | | | Caribbean Calypso, African rhythms, |
| Ocean, the United States and east of | | | | English folk songs and the uniquely |
| Florida, north of Cuba and the | | | | Bahamian Goombay beat echo in the |
| Caribbean, and northwest of the British | | | | air.Weddings and funerals in The Bahamas |
| dependency of the Turks and Caicos | | | | are especially important social events. |
| Islands.Documented Bahamian history | | | | People begin celebrating a marriage |
| begins with the words, "Baja Mar," the | | | | weeks before the official ceremony |
| name the Spanish bestowed on the | | | | begins, and the passing of loved ones is |
| islands. This term is misleading, | | | | commemorated by parties long after they |
| however; it means "shallow sea," but the | | | | are gone.Anyone in search of the perfect |
| islands are really mountain plateaus | | | | beach might very well start with the |
| that emerged from the Atlantic hundreds | | | | Islands of The Bahamas, whose relatively |
| of thousands of years ago. Christopher | | | | small land mass belies the sheer |
| Columbus's first landfall in the New | | | | quantity of its beachfront. With the |
| World in 1492 is believed to have been | | | | vast majority of the islands shaped like |
| on the island of San Salvador (also | | | | slivers, one imagines two gorgeous |
| called Watling's Island), in the | | | | stretches of beach separated by the most |
| southeastern Bahamas. He encountered | | | | perfunctory of inlands. The beaches of |
| Taino (also known as Lucayan) | | | | The Bahamas are often coupled with |
| Amerindians and exchanged gifts with | | | | shallow transparent water for hundreds |
| them.The 294,982 people who live in The | | | | of yards out to sea, rising gently to |
| Bahamas are predominantly of West | | | | sandbars before finally dropping into |
| African descent. Their ancestors were | | | | the depths. |
| slaves brought to the islands to work | | | | |