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