The Bahama islands were inhabited by theArawak andLucayans, a branch of theArawakan-speakingTaíno, for many centuries.[14]Christopher Columbus was the first European to see the islands, making his first landfall in the "New World" in 1492 when he landed on the island ofSan Salvador. Later, theSpanish shipped the nativeLucayans toHispaniola and enslaved them there, after which the Bahama islands were mostly deserted from 1513 until 1648, as nearly all native Bahamians had been forcibly removed for enslavement or had died of diseases which Europeans had brought with them from Europe. In 1649,[15] English colonists fromBermuda, known as theEleutheran Adventurers, settled on the island ofEleuthera.
The Bahamas became aBritishcrown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down onpiracy. After theAmerican Revolutionary War, the Crown resettled thousands ofAmerican Loyalists to the Bahamas; they took enslaved people with them and establishedplantations on land grants. Enslaved Africans and their descendants constituted the majority of the population from this period on. The slave trade was abolished by the British in 1807. Althoughslavery in the Bahamas was not abolished until 1834, the Bahamas became a haven ofmanumission for African slaves, from outside the British West Indies, in 1818.[16] Africans liberated from illegal slave ships were resettled on the islands by theRoyal Navy, while someNorth American slaves andSeminoles escaped to the Bahamas from Florida. Bahamians were even known to recognise the freedom of enslaved people carried by the ships of other nations which reached the Bahamas. TodayBlack Bahamians make up 90% of the population of 400,516.[14]
The nameBahamas is derived from theLucayan nameBahama ('large upper middle island'), used by the IndigenousTaíno people for the island ofGrand Bahama.[20][21] Tourist guides often state that the name comes from the Spanishbaja mar ('shallow sea'). Wolfgang Ahrens ofYork University argues that this is afolk etymology.[20] Alternatively,Bahama may have been derived fromGuanahaní, a local name of unclear meaning.[22]
The Bahamas is one of only two countries whose official names start with the article "the"—the other beingThe Gambia. The usage likely arose because the name also refers to the islands, a geographical feature that would take a definite article.[25]
The first inhabitants of the Bahamas were theTaíno people, who moved into the uninhabited southern islands fromHispaniola and Cuba around the 800s–1000s AD, having migrated there from mainlandSouth America; they came to be known as theLucayan people.[26] An estimated 30,000 Lucayans inhabited the Bahamas at the time ofChristopher Columbus' arrival in 1492.[27]
A depiction of Columbus' first landing, claiming possession of theNew World for theCrown of Castile incaravels; theNiña and thePinta, on Watling Island, an island of the Bahamas that the natives calledGuanahani and that he namedSan Salvador, on 12 October 1492.[28]
Columbus' first landfall in what was to Europeans a "New World" was on an island he named San Salvador (known to the Lucayans asGuanahani). While there is a general consensus that this island lay within the Bahamas, precisely which island Columbus landed on is a matter of scholarly debate. Some researchers believe the site to be present-daySan Salvador Island (formerly known as Watling's Island), situated in the southeastern Bahamas, whilst an alternative theory holds that Columbus landed to the southeast onSamana Cay, according to calculations made in 1986 byNational Geographic writer and editorJoseph Judge, based on Columbus' log. On the landfall island, Columbus made first contact with the Lucayans and exchanged goods with them, claiming the islands for theCrown of Castile, before proceeding to explore the larger isles of theGreater Antilles.[26]
The 1494Treaty of Tordesillas theoretically divided the new territories between theKingdom of Castile and theKingdom of Portugal, placing the Bahamas in the Spanish sphere; however they did little to press their claim on the ground. The Spanish did however exploit the native Lucayan peoples, many of whom were enslaved and sent to Hispaniola for use as forced labour.[26] The slaves suffered harsh conditions and most died from contractingdiseases to which they had noimmunity; half of the Taíno died fromsmallpox alone.[29] As a result of these depredations the population of the Bahamas was severely diminished.[30]
The English had expressed an interest in the Bahamas as early as 1629. However, it was not until 1648 that the first English settlers arrived on the islands. Known as theEleutherian Adventurers and led byWilliam Sayle, they migrated fromBermuda seeking greater religious freedom. These EnglishPuritans established the first permanent European settlement on an island which they namedEleuthera, Greek forfree. They later settledNew Providence, naming it Sayle's Island. Life proved harder than envisaged however, and many – including Sayle – chose to return to Bermuda.[26] To survive, the remaining settlerssalvaged goods from wrecks.
During proprietary rule, the Bahamas became a haven forpirates, includingBlackbeard (circa 1680–1718).[35] To put an end to the "Pirates' republic" and restore orderly government, Britain made the Bahamas acrown colony in 1718, which they dubbed "the Bahama islands" under the governorship ofWoodes Rogers.[26] After a difficult struggle, he succeeded in suppressing piracy.[36] In 1720, theSpanish attacked Nassau during theWar of the Quadruple Alliance. In 1729, a local assembly was established giving a degree of self-governance for British settlers.[26][37] The reforms had been planned by the previous Governor George Phenney and authorised in July 1728.[38]
During theAmerican War of Independence in the late 18th century, the islands became a target for US naval forces. Under the command of CommodoreEsek Hopkins,US Marines, the US Navy occupied Nassau in 1776, before being evacuated a few days later. In 1782 a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast of Nassau, and the citysurrendered without a fight. Later, in April 1783, on a visit made by Prince William of the United Kingdom (later to become KingWilliam IV) toLuis de Unzaga at his residence in the Captaincy General of Havana, they made prisoner exchange agreements and also dealt with the preliminaries of theTreaty of Paris (1783), in which the recently conquered Bahamas would be exchanged forEast Florida, which would still have to conquer the city ofSt. Augustine, Florida in 1784 by order of Luis de Unzaga; after that, also in 1784, the Bahamas would be declared a British colony.[39]
After US independence, the British resettled some 7,300Loyalists with their African slaves in the Bahamas, including 2,000 from New York[40] and at least 1,033 Europeans, 2,214 African descendants, and a few Native AmericanCreeks fromEast Florida. Most of the refugees resettled from New York had fled from other colonies, includingWest Florida, which the Spanish captured during the war.[41] The government granted land to the planters to help compensate for losses on the continent. These Loyalists, who included Deveaux and alsoLord Dunmore, established plantations on several islands and became a political force in the capital.[26] European Americans were outnumbered by the African-American slaves they brought with them, and ethnic Europeans remained a minority in the territory.
TheSlave Trade Act 1807 abolished slave trading toBritish possessions, including the Bahamas. The United Kingdom pressured other slave-trading countries to also abolish slave-trading, and gave theRoyal Navy the right to intercept ships carrying slaves on the high seas.[42][43] Thousands of Africans liberated from slave ships by the Royal Navy were resettled in the Bahamas.
In the 1820s during the period of theSeminole Wars in Florida, hundreds of North American slaves and African Seminoles escaped fromCape Florida to the Bahamas. They settled mostly on northwestAndros Island, where they developed the village of Red Bays. From eyewitness accounts, 300 escaped in a mass flight in 1823, aided by Bahamians in 27sloops, with others using canoes for the journey. This was commemorated in 2004 by a large sign atBill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.[44][45] Some of their descendants in Red Bays continue African Seminole traditions in basket making and grave marking.[46]
In 1818,[16] the Home Office in London had ruled that "any slave brought to the Bahamas from outside theBritish West Indies would be manumitted." This led to a total of nearly 300 enslaved people owned by US nationals being freed from 1830 to 1835.[47] The American slave shipsComet andEncomium used in the United States domesticcoastwise slave trade, were wrecked off Abaco Island in December 1830 and February 1834, respectively. When wreckers took the masters, passengers and slaves into Nassau, customs officers seized the slaves and British colonial officials freed them, over the protests of the Americans. There were 165 slaves on theComet and 48 on theEncomium. The United Kingdom finally paid an indemnity to the United States in those two cases in 1855, under the Treaty of Claims of 1853, which settled several compensation cases between the two countries.[48][49]
Slavery wasabolished in the British Empire on 1 August 1834.[26] After that British colonial officials freed 78 North American slaves from theEnterprise, which went into Bermuda in 1835; and 38 from theHermosa, which wrecked off Abaco Island in 1840.[50] The most notable case was that of theCreole in 1841: as a result of aslave revolt on board, the leaders ordered the US brig to Nassau. It was carrying 135 slaves from Virginia destined for sale inNew Orleans. The Bahamian officials freed the 128 slaves who chose to stay in the islands. TheCreole case has been described as the "most successful slave revolt in U.S. history".[51]
These incidents, in which a total of 447 enslaved people belonging to US nationals were freed from 1830 to 1842, increased tension between the United States and theUnited Kingdom. They had been co-operating in patrols to suppress the international slave trade. However, worried about the stability of its large domestic slave trade and its value, the United States argued that the United Kingdom should not treat its domestic ships that came to its colonial ports under duress as part of the international trade. The United States worried that the success of theCreole slaves in gaining freedom would encourage more slave revolts on merchant ships.
The early decades of the 20th century were ones of hardship for many Bahamians, characterised by a stagnant economy and widespread poverty. Many eked out a living via subsistence agriculture or fishing.[26]
In August 1940, theDuke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII) was appointedGovernor of the Bahamas. He arrived in the colony with hiswife. Although disheartened at the condition of Government House, they "tried to make the best of a bad situation".[54] He did not enjoy the position, and referred to the islands as "a third-class British colony".[55] He opened the small local parliament on 29 October 1940. The couple visited the "Out Islands" that November, onAxel Wenner-Gren's yacht, which caused controversy;[56] theBritish Foreign Office strenuously objected because they had been advised by United States intelligence that Wenner-Gren was a close friend of theLuftwaffe commanderHermann Göring of Nazi Germany.[56][57]
The Duke was praised at the time for his efforts to combat poverty on the islands. A 1991 biography by Philip Ziegler, however, described him as contemptuous of the Bahamians and other non-European peoples of the Empire. He was praised for his resolution of civil unrest over low wages inNassau in June 1942, when there was a "full-scale riot".[58] Ziegler said that the Duke blamed the trouble on "mischief makers –communists" and "men of Central EuropeanJewish descent, who had secured jobs as a pretext for obtaining a deferment of draft".[59] The Duke resigned from the post on 16 March 1945.[60][61]
Modern political development began after theSecond World War. The first political parties were formed in the 1950s, split broadly along ethnic lines, with theUnited Bahamian Party (UBP) representing the English-descended Bahamians (known informally as the "Bay Street Boys")[62] and theProgressive Liberal Party (PLP) representing the Black-Bahamian majority.[26]
A new constitution granting the Bahamas internal autonomy went into effect on 7 January 1964, with Chief MinisterSir Roland Symonette of the UBP becoming the first premier.[63]: p.73 [64] In 1967,Lynden Pindling of the PLP became the first black Premier of the Bahamian colony; in 1968, the title of the position was changed toPrime Minister. In 1968, Pindling announced that the Bahamas would seek full independence.[65] A new constitution giving the Bahamas increased control over its own affairs was adopted in 1968.[66] In 1971, the UBP merged with a disaffected faction of the PLP to form a new party, theFree National Movement (FNM), a centre-right party which aimed to counter the growing power of Pindling's PLP.[67]
Politically, the first two decades were dominated by Pindling's PLP, who went on to win a string of electoral victories. Allegations of corruption, links with drug cartels and financial malfeasance within the Bahamian government failed to dent Pindling's popularity. Meanwhile, the economy underwent a dramatic growth period fuelled by the twin pillars of tourism andoffshore finance, significantly raising thestandard of living on the islands. The Bahamas' booming economy led to it becoming a beacon for immigrants, most notably fromHaiti.[26]
Hurricane Dorian's destruction in The Bahamas
In 1992, Pindling was unseated byHubert Ingraham of the FNM.[63]: p.78 Ingraham went on to win the1997 Bahamian general election, before being defeatedin 2002, when the PLP returned to power underPerry Christie.[63]: p.82 Ingraham returned to power from 2007 to 2012, followed by Christie again from 2012 to 2017. With economic growth faltering, Bahamians re-elected the FNM in 2017, withHubert Minnis becoming the fourth prime minister.[26]
In September 2019,Hurricane Dorian struck theAbaco Islands andGrand Bahama atCategory 5 intensity, devastating the northwestern Bahamas. The storm inflicted at leastUS$7 billion in damages and killed more than 50 people,[75][76] with 1,300 people missing after two weeks.[77]
Map of the BahamasMost of the Bahamas are the above-water part of theBahama Banks (light blue). During the ice ages these would have been two large islands
The landmass that makes up what is the modern-day Bahamas, lies at the northern part of theGreater Antilles region and was believed to have been formed 200 million years ago when they began to separate from the supercontinentPangaea. ThePleistocene Ice Age around 3 million years ago, had a profound impact on the archipelago's formation.
The Bahamas consists of achain of islands spread out over some 800 km (500 mi) in the Atlantic Ocean, located to the east ofFlorida in the United States, north of Cuba andHispaniola and west of the British Overseas Territory of theTurks and Caicos Islands (with which it forms theLucayan archipelago). It lies between latitudes20° and28°N, and longitudes72° and80°W and straddles theTropic of Cancer.[14] There are some 700 islands and 2,400 cays in total (of which 30 are inhabited) with a total land area of 10,010 km2 (3,860 sq mi).[14][26]
All the islands are low and flat, with ridges that usually rise no more than 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft). The highest point in the country isMount Alvernia (formerly Como Hill) on Cat Island at 64 m (210 ft).[14]
The country contains three terrestrial ecoregions:Bahamian dry forests,Bahamian pine mosaic, andBahamian mangroves.[83] It had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.35/10, ranking it 44th globally out of 172 countries.[84] In the Bahamasforest cover is around 51% of the total land area, equivalent to 509,860 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, which was unchanged from 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 509,860 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 0 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to beprimary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 0% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 80% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownership, 20%private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown.[85][86]
As with most tropical climates, seasonal rainfall follows the sun, and summer is the wettest season. There is only a 7 °C (13 °F) difference between the warmest month and coolest month in most of the Bahama islands. Every few decades low temperatures can fall below 10 °C (50 °F) for a few hours when a severe cold outbreak comes down from the North American mainland, however there has never been a frost or freeze recorded in the Bahamian Islands. Only once in recorded history has snow been seen in the air anywhere in the Bahamas. This occurred in Freeport on 19 January 1977, when snow mixed with rain was seen in the air for a short time.[88] The Bahamas are often sunny and dry for long periods, and average more than 3,000 hours or 340 days of sunlight annually. Much of the natural vegetation is tropical scrub and cactus and succulents are common in landscapes.[89]
Tropical storms and hurricanes occasionally impact the Bahamas. In 1992,Hurricane Andrew passed over the northern portions of the islands, andHurricane Floyd passed near the eastern portions of the islands in 1999.Hurricane Dorian of 2019 passed over the archipelago at destructiveCategory 5 strength with sustained winds of 298 km/h (185 mph) and wind gusts up to 350 km/h (220 mph), becoming the strongest tropical cyclone on record to impact the northwestern islands of Grand Bahama and Great Abaco.[90]
Climate change is causing temperature increases in the Bahamas. The average temperature has increased by approximately 0.5 °C since 1960, and the rate of warming is more rapid in warmer seasons.[91] Global temperature rise of 2 °C above preindustrial levels can increase the likelihood of extremehurricane rainfall by four to five times in the Bahamas.[92][93] The Bahamas is expected to be highly affected bysea level rise because at least 80% of the total land is below 10 meters elevation.[94] Climate change could also affect the seasonality of outbreaks and transmission of disease in the Bahamas.[95]
Although the country'sgreenhouse gas emissions are comparatively small (2.94 million tonnes of green house gases emitted in 2023),[96] the Bahamas is reliant on importedfossil fuels for energy generation.[97] The government plans to increasesolar energy capacity to 30% of the country's total energy production by 2033.[98] The Bahamas has pledged to reduce its emissions by 30% by 2030, if international support is received.[99]
It was generally believed that the Bahamas were formed approximately 200 million years ago, when Pangaea started to break apart. In current times, it endures as an archipelago containing over 700 islands and cays, fringed around differentcoral reefs. Thelimestone that comprises the Banks has been accumulating since at least theCretaceous period, and perhaps as early as theJurassic; today the total thickness under the Great Bahama Bank is over 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles).[100] As the limestone was deposited in shallow water, the only way to explain this massive column is to estimate that the entire platform hassubsided under its own weight at a rate of roughly 3.6 centimetres (2 inches) per 1,000 years.[100]The Bahamas is part of theLucayan Archipelago, which continues into the Turks and Caicos Islands, theMouchoir Bank, theSilver Bank, and theNavidad Bank.[101] The Bahamas Platform, which includes the Bahamas, Southern Florida, Northern Cuba, the Turks and Caicos, and theBlake Plateau, formed about 150Ma, not long after the formation of the North Atlantic. The 6.4 km (4.0 mi) thicklimestones, which predominate in the Bahamas, date back to theCretaceous. These limestones would have been deposited in shallow seas, assumed to be a stretched and thinned portion of theNorth American continental crust. Sediments were forming at about the same rate as the crust below was sinking due to the added weight. Thus, the entire area consisted of a large marine plain with some islands. Then, at about 80 Ma, the area became flooded by theGulf Stream. This resulted in the drowning of the Blake Plateau, the separation of the Bahamas from Cuba and Florida, the separation of the southeastern Bahamas into separate banks, the creation of theCay Sal Bank, plus theLittle and Great Bahama Banks. Sedimentation from the "carbonate factory" of each bank, oratoll, continues today at the rate of about 20 mm (0.79 in) perkyr.Coral reefs form the "retaining walls" of these atolls, within whichoolites andpellets form.[102]
Coral growth was greater through theTertiary, until the start of theice ages, and hence those deposits are more abundant below a depth of 36 m (118 ft). In fact, an ancient extinct reef exists half a kilometre seaward of the present one, 30 m (98 ft) below sea level. Oolites form when oceanic water penetrate the shallow banks, increasing the temperature about 3 °C (5.4 °F) and the salinity by 0.5 per cent.Cementedooids are referred to as grapestone. Additionally, giantstromatolites are found off theExuma Cays.[102]: 22, 29–30
Sea level changes resulted in a drop in sea level, causing wind blown oolite to formsand dunes with distinctcross-bedding. Overlapping dunes form oolitic ridges, which become rapidlylithified through the action of rainwater, calledeolianite. Most islands have ridges ranging from 30 to 45 m (98 to 148 ft), though Cat Island has a ridge 60 m (200 ft) in height. The land between ridges is conducive to the formation of lakes and swamps.[102]: 41–59, 61–64
Thestratigraphy of the islands consists of theMiddle Pleistocene Owl's HoleFormation, overlain by theLate Pleistocene Grotto Beach Formation, and then theHolocene Rice Bay Formation. However, these units are not necessarily stacked on top of each other but can be located laterally. The oldest formation, Owl's Hole, is capped by aterra rosapaleosoil, as is the Grotto Beach, unlesseroded. The Grotto Beach Formation is the most widespread.[101]
Legislative power is vested in abicameralparliament, which consists of a 38-member House of Assembly (thelower house), with members elected fromsingle-member districts, and a 16-memberSenate, with members appointed by the governor-general, including nine on the advice of the prime minister, four on the advice of theleader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, and three on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition. As under the Westminster system, the prime minister may dissolve Parliament and call a general election at any time within a five-year term.[105]
US vice presidentKamala Harris with prime ministerPhilip Davis of the Bahamas at the Office of the Vice President in 2023
The Bahamas has strong bilateral relationships with the United States and the United Kingdom, represented by an ambassador inWashington andHigh Commissioner inLondon. The Bahamas also associates closely with other nations of theCaribbean Community (CARICOM).[109]
The embassy of the United States in Nassau donated $3.6 million to the minister for disaster preparedness, management, and reconstruction for modular shelters, medical evacuation boats, and construction materials. The donation was made two weeks after the one-year anniversary ofHurricane Dorian.[110]
The Bahamian military is the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF),[111] the navy of the Bahamas which includes a land unit called Commando Squadron (Regiment) and an Air Wing (Air Force). Under the Defence Act, the RBDF has been mandated, in the name of theking, to defend the Bahamas, protect its territorial integrity, patrol its waters, provide assistance and relief in times of disaster, maintain order in conjunction with the law enforcement agencies of the Bahamas, and carry out any such duties as determined by the National Security Council.[112] The Defence Force is also a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)'s Regional Security Task Force.[111]
The RBDF came into existence on 31 March 1980. Its duties include defending the Bahamas, stoppingdrug smuggling, illegal immigration and poaching, and providing assistance to mariners. The Defence Force has a fleet of 26 coastal and inshore patrol craft along with 3 aircraft and over 1,100 personnel including 65 officers and 74 women.[113]
The districts of the Bahamas provide a system of local government everywhere exceptNew Providence (which holds 70 per cent of the national population), whose affairs are handled directly by the central government. In 1996, the Bahamian Parliament passed the "Local Government Act" to facilitate the establishment of family island administrators, local government districts, local district councillors and local town committees for the various island communities. The overall goal of this act is to allow the various elected leaders to govern and oversee the affairs of their respective districts without the interference of the central government. In total, there are 32 districts, with elections being held every five years. There are 110 councillors and 281 town committee members elected to represent the various districts.[114]
Each councillor or town committee member is responsible for the proper use of public funds for the maintenance and development of their constituency.
The Bahamas relies heavily ontourism to generate most of its economic activity. Tourism as an industry accounts for about 70% of the Bahamian GDP and provides jobs for about half of the country's workforce.[117] The Bahamas attracted 5.8 million visitors in 2012, more than 70% of whom were cruise visitors.[118]
After tourism, the next most important economic sector is banking andoffshore international financial services, accounting for some 15% of GDP.[17] It was revealed in thePanama Papers that the Bahamas is the jurisdiction with the most offshore entities or companies in the world.[119]
The Bahamas is considered a major international financial centre. According to some estimates, it is the fourth-largest tax haven globally based on assets under management. It is believed to hold approximately $13.7 trillion in private household wealth and an additional $12 trillion in corporate wealth sheltered within offshore shell companies. This combined figure represents roughly a quarter of the world's annual wealth creation. As recently as 2019, the offshore financial services sector contributed an estimated 20% to the Bahamian economy.[120]
The economy has a very competitive tax regime (classified by some as atax haven). The government derives its revenue from import tariffs,VAT, licence fees, property and stamp taxes, but there is no income tax, corporate tax, capital gains tax, or wealth tax. Payroll taxes fund social insurance benefits and amount to 3.9% paid by the employee and 5.9% paid by the employer.[121] In 2010, overall tax revenue as a percentage of GDP was 17.2%.[2]
Access tobiocapacity in the Bahamas is much higher than the world average. In 2016, the Bahamas had 9.2 global hectares[123] of biocapacity per person within its territory, much more than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person.[124] In 2016 the Bahamas used 3.7 global hectares of biocapacity per person – theirecological footprint of consumption. This means they use less biocapacity than the Bahamas contains. As a result, the Bahamas is running a biocapacity reserve.[123]
Demographics of Bahamas, data ofFAO; number of inhabitants in thousands
The Bahamas had a population of 407,906 at the 2018 Census, of which 25.9% were 14 or under, 67.2% 15 to 64 and 6.9% over 65. It has a population growth rate of 0.925% (2010), with a birth rate of 17.81/1,000 population, death rate of 9.35/1,000, and net migration rate of −2.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population.[125] Theinfant mortality rate is 23.21 deaths/1,000 live births. Residents have a life expectancy at birth of 69.87 years: 73.49 years for females, 66.32 years for males. The total fertility rate is 2.0 children born/woman (2010).[2] The latest official estimate (as at 2022) is 400,516.
According to the 99% response rate obtained from the race question on the 2010 Census questionnaire, 90.6% of the population identified themselves as beingBlack, 4.7%White and 2.1% of aMixed (African and European).[128] Three centuries prior, in 1722 when the first official census of the Bahamas was taken, 74% of the population was native European and 26% native African.[128]
Since the colonial era of plantations,Africans or Afro-Bahamians have been the largest ethnic group in the Bahamas, whose primary ancestry was based inWest Africa. The first Africans to arrive to the Bahamas were freed slaves fromBermuda; they arrived with theEleutheran Adventurers looking for new lives.[129]
TheHaitian community in the Bahamas is also largely of African descent and numbers about 80,000. Due to an extremely high immigration of Haitians to the Bahamas, the Bahamian government started deporting illegal Haitian immigrants to their homeland in late 2014.[130]
The white Bahamian population are mainly the descendants of theEnglish Puritans andAmerican Loyalists escaping theAmerican Revolution who arrived in 1649 and 1783, respectively.[131] Many Southern Loyalists went to theAbaco Islands, half of whose population was of European descent as of 1985.[132] The termwhite is usually used to identify Bahamians with Anglo ancestry, as well as some light-skinned Afro-Bahamians. Sometimes Bahamians use the termConchy Joe to describe people of Anglo descent. Generally, however, Bahamians self-identify as white or black along the lines similar to the distinction made in the US.[133]
A small portion of the Euro-Bahamian population areGreek Bahamians, descended fromGreek labourers who came to help develop the sponging industry in the 1900s.[134] They make up less than 2% of the nation's population, but have still preserved their distinctGreek Bahamian culture.[135][136]
Other ethnic groups in the Bahamas include Asians and people of Spanish and Portuguese origin.[137]
Jews in the Bahamas have a history dating back to theColumbus expeditions, whereLuis De Torres, an interpreter and member of Columbus' party, is believed to have beensecretly Jewish. Today, there is a small community with about 200 members, according to census data, although higher estimates place this figure at 300.[140][141][142]
Muslims also have a minority presence. While some slaves and free Africans in the colonial era were Muslim, the religion was absent until around the 1970s, when it experienced a revival. Today, there are about 300 Muslims.[143][142]
There are also smaller communities ofBaháʼís,Hindus,Rastafari and practitioners of traditional African religions, such asObeah.[142]
According to 2011 estimates, 95% of the Bahamian adult population are literate.
TheUniversity of the Bahamas (UB) is the national higher education/tertiary system. Offering baccalaureate, masters and associate degrees, UB has three campuses, and teaching and research centres throughout the Bahamas. The University of the Bahamas was chartered on 10 November 2016.[149]
The culture of the islands is a mixture of African (Afro-Bahamians being the largest ethnicity),British andAmerican due to historical family ties, migration to the Bahamas of people freed from enslavement in the United States, and as the dominant country in the region and source of most tourists.[26]
A form of African-based folk magic is practised by some Bahamians, mainly in the Family Islands (out-islands) of the Bahamas.[150] The practice ofobeah is illegal in the Bahamas and punishable in law.[151]
In the outer islands also called Family Islands, handicrafts include basketry made from palm fronds. This material, commonly called "straw", is plaited into hats and bags that are popular tourist items.[152]
Junkanoo is a traditional Afro-Bahamian street parade of 'rushing', music, dance and art held in Nassau (and a few other settlements) everyBoxing Day andNew Year's Day. Junkanoo is also used to celebrate other holidays and events such as Emancipation Day.[26]
Regattas are important social events in many family island settlements. They usually feature one or more days of sailing by old-fashionedwork boats, as well as an onshore festival.[153]
Many dishes are associated withBahamian cuisine, which reflects Caribbean, African and European influences. Some settlements have festivals associated with the traditional crop or food of that area, such as the "Pineapple Fest" in Gregory Town,Eleuthera or the "Crab Fest" on Andros. Other significant traditions includestory telling.
Bahamians have created a rich literature of poetry, short stories, plays and short fictional works. Common themes in these works are (1) an awareness of change, (2) a striving for sophistication, (3) a search for identity, (4) nostalgia for the old ways and (5) an appreciation of beauty. Some major writers are Susan Wallace,Marion Bethel, Percival Miller, Robert Johnson, Raymond Brown, O.M. Smith, William Johnson, Eddie Minnis andWinston Saunders.[154][155]
The best-known folklore and legends in the Bahamas include thelusca andchickcharney creatures of Andros, Pretty Molly on Exuma Bahamas and the Lost City ofAtlantis on Bimini Bahamas.
The Bahamian flag was adopted in 1973. Its colours symbolise the strength of the Bahamian people; its design reflects aspects of the natural environment (sun and sea) and economic and social development.[14] The flag is a black equilateral triangle against the mast, superimposed on a horizontal background made up of three equal stripes of aquamarine, gold and aquamarine.[14]
The coat of arms of the Bahamas contains a shield with the national symbols as its focal point. The shield is supported by amarlin and aflamingo, which are the national animals of the Bahamas. The flamingo is located on the land, and the marlin on the sea, indicating the geography of the islands.
On top of the shield is a conch shell, which represents the marine life of the island chain. The conch shell rests on a helmet. Below this is the actual shield, the main symbol of which is a ship representing theSanta María of Christopher Columbus, shown sailing beneath the sun. Along the bottom, below the shield appears a banner upon which is the national motto:[156]
Forward, Upward, Onward Together.
The national flower of the Bahamas is theyellow elder, as it is endemic to the Bahama islands and it blooms throughout the year.[157]
Selection of the yellow elder over many other flowers was made through the combined popular vote of members of all four of New Providence's garden clubs of the 1970s—the Nassau Garden Club, the Carver Garden Club, the International Garden Club and theYWCA Garden Club. They reasoned that other flowers grown there—such as thebougainvillea,hibiscus andpoinciana—had already been chosen as the national flowers of other countries. The yellow elder, on the other hand, was unclaimed by other countries (although it is now also the national flower of theUnited States Virgin Islands) and also the yellow elder is native to the family islands.[158]
Sport is a significant part of Bahamian culture. The national sport iscricket, which has been played in the Bahamas from 1846[159] and is the oldest sport played in the country today. TheBahamas Cricket Association was formed in 1936, and from the 1940s to the 1970s, cricket was played amongst many Bahamians. Bahamas is not a part of theWest Indies Cricket Board, so players are not eligible to play for theWest Indies cricket team. The late 1970s saw the game begin to decline in the country as teachers, who had previously come from the United Kingdom with a passion for cricket, were replaced by teachers who had been trained in the United States. The Bahamian physical education teachers had no knowledge of the game and instead taughttrack and field,basketball,baseball,softball,[160]volleyball[161] andassociation football[162] where primary and high schools compete against each other. Today cricket is still enjoyed by a few locals and immigrants in the country, usually fromJamaica,Guyana,Trinidad andBarbados. Cricket is played on Saturdays and Sundays at Windsor Park and Haynes Oval inNassau, Bahamas.[163] Whiles the main and only cricket grounds onGrand Bahama is the Lucaya Cricket Oval.[164]
The only other sporting event that began before cricket washorse racing, which started in 1796. The most popular spectator sports are those imported from the United States, such as basketball,[165]American football,[166] and baseball,[167] rather than from the British Isles, due to the country's close proximity to the United States, unlike their other Caribbean counterparts, where cricket,soccer, andnetball have proven to be more popular.
Over the years American football has become much more popular than soccer. Leagues for teens and adults have been developed by the Bahamas American Football Federation.[168] However soccer, as it is commonly known in the country, is still a very popular sport amongst high school pupils. Leagues are governed by theBahamas Football Association. In 2013 the Bahamian government has been working closely withTottenham Hotspur of London to promote the sport in the country as well as promoting the Bahamas in the European market. In 2013, 'Spurs' became the first Premier League club to play anexhibition match in the Bahamas, facing theJamaica men's national team.Joe Lewis, the owner of the club, is based in the Bahamas.[169][170][171]
Other popular sports areswimming,[172]tennis[173] andboxing,[174] where Bahamians have enjoyed some degree of success at the international level. Other sports such asgolf,[175]rugby league,[176]rugby union,[177]beach soccer,[178] andnetball are considered growing sports.Athletics, commonly known as 'track and field' in the country, is the most successful sport by far amongst Bahamians. Bahamians have a strong tradition in thesprints and jumps. Track and field is probably the most popular spectator sport in the country next tobasketball due to their success over the years. Triathlons are gaining popularity in Nassau and the Family Islands.
^abAppendix: "Brigs Encomium and Enterprise",Register of Debates in Congress, Gales & Seaton, 1837, pp. 251–253. Note: In trying to retrieve North American slaves off theEncomium from colonial officials (who freed them), the US consul in February 1834 was told by the Lieutenant Governor that "he was acting in regard to the slaves under an opinion of 1818 by Sir Christopher Robinson and Lord Gifford to the British Secretary of State".
^Keegan, William F. (1992).The people who discovered Columbus: the prehistory of the Bahamas. Jay I. Kislak Reference Collection (Library of Congress). Gainesville: University Press of Florida. pp. 25,54–8, 86,170–3.ISBN0-8130-1137-X.OCLC25317702.
^Cazorla, Frank, Baena, Rose, Polo, David, Reder Gadow, Marion (2019) The Governor Louis de Unzaga (1717–1793) Pioneer in the birth of the United States and liberalism, Foundation Malaga, pages 21, 154–155, 163–165, 172, 188–191
^Peters, Thelma (October 1961). "The Loyalist Migration from East Florida to the Bahama Islands".The Florida Historical Quarterly.40 (2):123–141.JSTOR30145777. p. 132, 136, 137
^Register of Debates in Congress, Gales & Seaton, 1837, The section, "Brigs Encomium and Enterprise", has a collection of lengthy correspondence between US (including M. Van Buren), Vail, the US chargé d'affaires in London, and British agents, includingLord Palmerston, sent to the Senate on 13 February 1837, by PresidentAndrew Jackson, as part of the continuing process of seeking compensation.
^The Bahamas Independence Order 1973 (Statutory Instrument 1973 No. 1080)
^"Bahamas gets deed".Chicago Defender. United Press International. 11 July 1973. p. 3.Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved10 July 2022.
^Clement Lewsey; Gonzalo Cid; Edward Kruse (1 September 2004). "Assessing climate change impacts on coastal infrastructure in the Eastern Caribbean".Marine Policy.28 (5):393–409.Bibcode:2004MarPo..28..393L.doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2003.10.016.
^abcdSealey, Neil (2006).Bahamian Landscapes; An Introduction to the Geology and Physical Geography of The Bahamas. Oxford: Macmillan Education. pp. 1–24.ISBN9781405064064.
^"Bahamas, The".The Commonwealth. 15 August 2013.Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved25 January 2021.
^"Contributions Table". The National Insurance Board of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. 11 May 2010.Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved22 December 2011.
^"NEW PROVIDENCE". Government of the Bahamas.Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved15 May 2015.
^"GRAND BAHAMA". Government of the Bahamas.Archived from the original on 5 June 2016. Retrieved15 May 2015.
^abThe Commonwealth of the Bahamas (August 2012)."2010 Census of Population and Housing"(PDF). pp. 10 and 82.Archived(PDF) from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved19 April 2016.In 1722 when the first official census of the Bahamas was taken, 74% of the population was European or native British and 26% wasAfrican or mixed. Three centuries later, and according to the 99% response rate obtained from the race question on the 2010 Census questionnaire, 90.6% of the population identified themselves as being Afro-Bahamian, about five per cent (4.7%) Euro-Bahamian and two per cent (2%) of a mixed race (African and European) and (1%) other races and (1%) not stated.
^Johnson, Howard (1986), "'Safeguarding our traders': The beginnings of immigration restrictions in the Bahamas, 1925–33", Immigrants and Minorities, 5 (1): 5–27,
^Hackert, Stephanie, ed. (2010)."ICE Bahamas: Why and how?"(PDF). University of Augsburg. pp. 41–45.Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved3 February 2017.
^Osiapem, Iyabo F., ed. (2006). "Book Review: Urban Bahamian Creole: System and Variation".Journal of English Linguistics.34 (4):362–366.doi:10.1177/0075424206292990.S2CID144817997.
^"About Us".University of The Bahamas. 2017.Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved26 April 2021.
^HomeArchived 12 January 2012 at theWayback Machine. Bahamas Swimming Federation (6 April 2014). Retrieved 20 April 2014.
^Bahamas Tennis. Bahamas Tennis. Mark Knowlesrepresented the Bahamas as #1 in the world in Doubles on the Men's ATP tour. He won many Grand Slams as doubles Specialist over a 25-year professional career. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
Cash Philipet al. (Don Maples, Alison Packer).The Making of The Bahamas: A History for Schools. London: Collins, 1978.
Miller, Hubert W.The Colonization of The Bahamas, 1647–1670, The William and Mary Quarterly 2 no.1 (January 1945): 33–46.
Craton, Michael.A History of The Bahamas. London: Collins, 1962.
Craton, Michael and Saunders, Gail.Islanders in the Stream: A History of the Bahamian People. Athens:University of Georgia Press, 1992
Collinwood, Dean. "Columbus and the Discovery of Self",Weber Studies, Vol. 9 No. 3 (Fall) 1992: 29–44.
Dodge, Steve.Abaco: The History of an Out Island and its Cays, Tropic Isle Publications, 1983.
Dodge, Steve.The Compleat Guide to Nassau, White Sound Press, 1987.
Boultbee, Paul G.The Bahamas. Oxford: ABC-Clio Press, 1990.
Wood, David E., comp.,A Guide to Selected Sources to the History of the Seminole Settlements of Red Bays, Andros, 1817–1980, Nassau: Department of Archives
Economic history
Johnson, Howard.The Bahamas in Slavery and Freedom. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishing, 1991.
Johnson, Howard.The Bahamas from Slavery to Servitude, 1783–1933. Gainesville:University of Florida Press, 1996.
Alan A. Block.Masters of Paradise, New Brunswick and London, Transaction Publishers, 1998.
Storr, Virgil H.Enterprising Slaves and Master Pirates: Understanding Economic Life in the Bahamas. New York:Peter Lang, 2004.
Social history
Johnson, Wittington B.Race Relations in the Bahamas, 1784–1834: The Nonviolent Transformation from a Slave to a Free Society, Fayetteville:University of Arkansas, 2000.
Saunders, Gail.The Social Life in the Bahamas 1880s–1920s. Nassau: Media Publishing, 1996.
Saunders, Gail.Bahamas Society After Emancipation. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishing, 1990.
Curry, Jimmy.Filthy Rich Gangster/First Bahamian Movie. Movie Mogul Pictures: 1996.
Curry, Jimmy.To the Rescue/First Bahamian Rap/Hip Hop Song. Royal Crown Records, 1985.
Collinwood, Dean.The Bahamas Between Worlds, White Sound Press, 1989.
Collinwood, Dean and Steve Dodge.Modern Bahamian Society, Caribbean Books, 1989.
Dodge, Steve, Robert McIntire and Dean Collinwood.The Bahamas Index, White Sound Press, 1989.
Collinwood, Dean. "The Bahamas", inThe Whole World Handbook 1992–1995, 12th ed., New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994.
Collinwood, Dean. "The Bahamas", chapters in Jack W. Hopkins, ed.,Latin American and Caribbean Contemporary Record, Vols. 1,2,3,4, Holmes and Meier Publishers, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986.
Collinwood, Dean. "Problems of Research and Training in Small Islands with a Social Science Faculty", inSocial Science in Latin America and the Caribbean, UNESCO, No. 48, 1982.
Collinwood, Dean and Rick Phillips, "The National Literature of the New Bahamas",Weber Studies, Vol.7, No. 1 (Spring) 1990: 43–62.
Collinwood, Dean. "Writers, Social Scientists and Sexual Norms in the Caribbean",Tsuda Review, No. 31 (November) 1986: 45–57.
Collinwood, Dean. "Terra Incognita: Research on the Modern Bahamian Society",Journal of Caribbean Studies, Vol. 1, Nos. 2–3 (Winter) 1981: 284–297.
Collinwood, Dean and Steve Dodge. "Political Leadership in the Bahamas", The Bahamas Research Institute, No.1, May 1987.
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