People in Bahamas
The Bahamas has 385,000 inhabitants. Around 260,000
of them live in the capital Nassau and 26,000 in the
second largest city, Freeport. Most people, 85 percent,
are of African descent. The first blacks to arrive here
were freed slaves from Bermuda.
About twelve percent are whites of European origin.
These are mainly descendants of the English Puritans who
came to the island of Eleuthera in 1649, as well as the
North American settlers who sided with Great Britain in
the American War of Independence and who were looking
for a new home in 1783.
Three percent are Asians or from Latin America. There
are also immigrants from Haiti who are fleeing the poor
economic situation of their homeland and are looking for
a new home in the Bahamas.
Languages in Bahamas
English is spoken in the Bahamas. The islands were a
British colony for more than 250 years. English is the
official language, but many residents speak a Creole
language, Bahamian Creole. The basis is English, but
the pronunciation is influenced by African heritage and
there are also words that differ from English. It is
typical, for example, that the English th, which you
have to learn in school, is not pronounced: The word
this is pronounced dis. The sentence Is that your book?
becomes Das ya book?
Religions in Bahamas
About 80 percent of the Bahamas' residents are
Christians, 67 percent of them Protestants and 13
percent Catholics. Among the Protestants, the Baptists
are the largest group, followed by Anglicans.
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