THE BAHAMAS

2011
Contents
1. ORIENTATION
2. HISTORY AND ETHNIC RELATIONS
3. POLITICAL LIFE
4. FOOD
5. ECONOMY
6. GENDER ROLES AND STATUSES
7. SOCIALIZATION
8. RELIGION
9. SECULAR CELEBRATIONS




The Bahamas

The name Bahamas
derives from the Spanish
baja ("shallow") and mar
("sea").








Motto: "Forward, Upward, Onward, Together"
Location and Geography
The Bahamas lie in the Atlantic off the eastern
coast of Florida and extend for over 700 miles,
roughly parallel to Cuba.
The nation consisting of 29 islands, 700 cays,
and 2,400 islets (rocks).
The land area is 5,382 square miles.
The capital is Nassau.
The climate is subtropical.

Demography
Population estimates range from 275,000 to
325,000.
85% African Bahamians, 12% European
Bahamians, 3% Asians and Hispanic.


Language
English is the primary and official language.
Standard English" among the urban elite
"Bahamian English" among the poorer people.
There are some differences in vocabulary and
pronunciation from island to island.

History (1)
The first residents were the Lukku-Cairis, or
Lucayans.
Christopher Columbus made his first
hemispheric landfall in the Bahamas and claimed
them for Spain.
Many Lucayans were taken to Hispaniola and
Cuba as slaves and the rest died of newly
imported diseases.
History (2)
The Spanish never settled the Bahamas.
The region became a haven|for pirates.
The British claimed the islands in 1629 and
started a community on Eleuthera in 1648.
During the American war of independency, the
islands were a target for American naval forces.
History (3)
In 1782, following the British defeat at Yorktown, a
Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau.
In 1783 after American independence, some Loyalists
moved to The Bahamas and established British
government.
During the 1830 emancipation was legally mandated.
The islands remained a British colony until
independence was peacefully attained in 1973.
National Identity
National culture was forged through the
interactions of British traditions:
1. English language
2. Protestantism
3. Market economy and European technology.



Political Life

The Bahamas is a parliamentary democracy with
two main parties, the Free National Movement
and the Progressive Liberal Party.
The British monarch is recognized as the head
of state and is represented by the governor-
general.
Executive power is vested in the prime minister.
National flag
The colors embodied in
the design of the
Bahamian flag symbolise
the image and aspirations
of the people of The
Bahamas.
Food

Typical meals consists from fruits and
vegetables, meat or fish, bread, and rice.
The two national dishes are conch, an easily
collected sea snail, rice, and peas.
Holiday meals tend to center on local fish or
conch.

Economy (1)
Tourism accounts for
about half the gross
domestic product and
nearly half of all jobs.


Economy (2)
Commercial farming of cotton, pineapples, and
sisal has had little success.
Commercial fishing is moderately important.
Cottage industries that produce straw, shells,
and wooden items cater to local residents and
tourists.
Goods such as pharmaceuticals, rum, crawfish
and cement are exported.

Gender Roles and Statuses

Legally, women have equal status under the law.
Men tend to dominate the higher-income and
higher status positions in the public and private
sectors.
Urban women have many career opportunities
and are not discriminated against in obvious
ways.
Socialization (1)
Infants are cared for by their mothers.
Both bottle feeding and breast-feeding are accepted.
The literacy rate is about 90 percent, and public
education is available through local elementary schools
and regional secondary schools.
Private schools in Nassau are available to wealthier
families.

Socialization (2)
Since independence, higher education has been
stressed.
The College of the Bahamas in Nassau and
numerous technical schools provide higher
education.
Foreign universities are popular among the more
affluent.
Marriage
Marriages are monogamous.
Church weddings follow brief engagements.
Both partners are expected to contribute
financially to a marriage.

Religion (1)

Most residents are church going Christians:
80 percent are Protestant.
20 percent are Roman Catholic.
Most rituals are Christian services and are held in
churches.
Baptisms and revival meetings are held outdoors.
Large congregations are led by ordained ministers and
priests.
Religion (2)
The dead are placed in simple pine coffins, and
wakes are held at home.
Funerals are held in churches, and burials are in
churchyards or public cemeteries.
It is believed that souls go to heaven or hell.
Secular Celebrations

New Year's Day,
Good Friday,
Easter,
Whit Monday (seven weeks after Easter),
Labor Day (first Friday in June),
Independence Day (10 July),
Emancipation Day (first Monday in August),
Discovery Day (12 October),
Christmas Day,
Boxing Day (26 December).
Thank you!