BAHAMA CULTURE

BAHAMAS DERIVES FROM THE SPANISH BAJA FOR 'SHALLOW' AND MAR FOR 'SEA'. THEY HAVE MINOR DIFFERENCES IN CUSTOMS AMONG THE 700 ISLANDS. THE ISLANDS ARE OVER 700 MILES AND ARE PARALELLL TO CUBA. THEY HAVE 24,0000 REEFS AND ROCK FORMATIONS. THEIR CLMATE IS SUBTROPICAL. FARMING HAS BEEN PRACTICAL SINCE PRE-COLOMBIAN TIMES AND THEIR SOIL IS NOT FERTILE. THEY HAVE LITTLE GROUND WATER.

THEIR POPULATION IS ABOUT 280,000 WHO SPEAK FRENCH CREOLE WITH 1000'S OF ILLEGAL HAITI REFUGEES. 85% ARE AFRICAN ANCESTRY; THE REST ARE FROM ENGLAND. MANY YOUNG ADULTS MIGRATED FROM OUT THE ISLAND SETTLEMENTS TO URBAN AREAS.

ENGLISH IS THEIR MAIN LANGUAGE. THEY HAVE A MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION. THEY HAVE
VARIOUS EVENTS THAT DRAW 1000'S OF VISITORS. THE JUNKAANOA IS A MARDI GRAS LIKE CELEBRATION THAT BINDS PEOPLE TO THEIR PAST. THE FIRST RESIDENTS WERE LUKKIE-CLAIRES SUBDIVISION OF ARAWAK INDIANS. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND HIS CREW LANDED HERE AND CLAIMED BAHAMA FOR SPAIN. MANY EARLY INDIANS WERE TAKEN TO CUBA AS SLAVES AND MANY DIED OF DISEASES.

BAHAMAS WAS A HAVEN FOR PIRATES. FINALLY IN THE 16TH CENTURY THE BRITISH CLAIMED THE ISLANDS THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION SOME FOLKS MOVED FROM THE US AFTER THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AS WELL ASS ENSLAVED AFRICANS. THE COTTON PLANTATION FAILED DURING THE 1830'S AND THE SLAVES WERE FREED AND GIVEN LAND TO FARM.

THIS COUNTRY HAD VARIOUS WITH THE BRITISH AND AFRICAN TRADITIONS. THE AFRICAN FOLKS HAD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND STYLES, DANCES AND FOLKTALES. NEW BELIEFS EMERGED WITHIN THE BAHAMAS AS THE MANY CULTURES REVOLTED AND AGAIN FOUND HARMONY. BY 1973 THE ISLAND FOUND INDEPENDENCE.

MANY HAITIANS ARE THOUGHT OF AS UNCIVILIZED COMPARED TO BAHAMIANS. BECAUSE THEY PRACTICE VOODOO THOUGHT OF AS SECRETIVE. AIDS CAME FROM THE REFUGEES.. THE AMERICANS ARE PORTRAYED AS ARROGANT.

ABOUT 1/2 OF THE PEOPLE LIVE IN NAUSSAW. MANY NEIGHBORHOODS RANGE FROM WEALTHY TO SLUMS OF UNEMPLOYED FOLKS. THEY HAVE OLD COLONIAL STRUCTURES, FORTS, AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS. THEIR FOOD IS MEAT OR FISH, BREAD, RICE. BOTH HAITIANS AND BAHAMIANS EAT CONCH, AN EASILY COLLECTED SEA SNAIL AND RICE AND PEAS. POOR PEOPLE EAT THESE ALSO AS THEY ARE HERITAGE FOODS. DURING HOLIDAYS THEY EACH FISH, CATCH CONCH, RICE, PEAS, BAKED GOODS AND FRESH FRUIT, RUM, BEER, SOFT DRINKS, AND TEA, AND COFFEE. FARMING IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT EXCEPT FOR SMALL SUBSISTENCE GARDENING. TOURISM ACCOUNTS FOR FOR 1/2 OF GROSS PRODUCT AND 1/2 OF ALL JOBS. ANNUAL INCOME IS $10,000. THE NATIONAL CURRENCY IS KNOWN AS THE BAHAMIAN DOLLAR. COMMERCIAL FISHING IS IMPORTANT WITH MOST OF THE CATCH BEING FROZEN AND EXPORTED. THEY HAVE COTTAGE INDUSTRIES. THEY HAVE HOTELS, CASINOS, AND SPORT FISHING BUSINESSES.

GOODS AS PHARMACEUTICALS, RUM AND CRAWFISH ARE EXPORTED AND TRADE IS WITH THE U.S. THE U.K. AND CANADA. GOVERNMENT IS THE LARGEST EMPLOYER. CHILDREN WORK WITH PARENTS AND AS STREET VENDORS. SOME SKILLED TRADE MAY BE FISHING AND CARPENTRY,MASONRY WORK TEND TO BE FAMILY SKILLS.

THEY HAVE UPPER CLASS AND WEALTHY BUSINESS OWNERS. THEY HAVE MIDDLE CLASS BUSINESS OWNERS, AND PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS. ALMOST ALL LOWER CLASSARE OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY. SOME HAVE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS AND DO FISHING, WARFARE, AND TRADES PEOPLE. THIS IS WHERE ILLEGAL DRUGS FROM SOUTH AMERICA THE CARRIBEAN MOVE TO NORTH AMERICA. THE MONEY FROM THIS TRADE IS TOLERATED AND NOT CRIMINALIZED. THEY HAVE NO MILITARY. WOMEN HAVE EQUAL STATUS UNDER THE LAW. THEY GO INTO NURSING AND TEACHNG, AND OFFICE WORK, CRAFTS, AND DOMESTICS.

MARRIAGES ARE MONOGAMOUS AND PEOPLE DO NOT MARRY BETWEEN BLOOD RELATIVES. BUT THEY CAN MARRY BETWEEN DISTANT KIN AND IST COUSINS. SOME INTERACIAL MARRIAGES ARE STIGMATIZED. DIVORCE IS AVAILABLE, ALTHOUGH MANY COUPLES DRIFT APART AND NEVER TERMINATE THEIR UNION. THERE IS A DOUBLE STANDARD WHERE WOMEN ARE EXPECTED TO TO BE CHASTE UNTIL MARRIAGE AND MEN CAN HAVE EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIRS. THE IDEAL IS THE NUCLEAR FAMILY, BUT THERE IS MUCH DIVERSE LIVING SITUATIONS AS IN THE U.S.

CHILDREN ARE SOCIALIZED IN ADULT ROLES. GIRLS HELP MOMS AND PLAY WITH YOUNG. THE HOUSES ARE SMALL IN HEIGHT DUE TO HURRICANES . BOYS ARE SMALL IN HEIGHT DUE TO THE HURRICANES . BOYS MAY WORK WITH THEIR FATHERS AND ARE FREE TO PLAY AND TO BE INDEPENDENT. THEY HAVE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

MOST FOLKS ARE CHURCH GOING CHRISTIANS. OBEAH IS AN AFRICAN SYSTEM OF BELIEF IN SPIRITS. SOME CHRISTAN SERVICES INCLUDE GLOSSOLABA, SPIRIT POSSESSION AND FAITH HEALING. MOST BELIEVE SOULS GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL. SOME BELIEVE IN GHOSTS.

THEY HAVE ABOUT 100 GOVERNMENT CLINICS AND AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE TRANSPORTS OUT ISLANDS TO THE HOSPITAL IN EMERGENCY. THEY HAVE 1200 PEOPLE PER DOCTOR AND PARAMEDICS ARE IN OUTLYING VILLAGES. BUSH MEDICINE IS STILL FOUND BUT DECLINING.

ARTISTS ARE GIVEN IN SELF SUPPORTING AND ARE GIVEN SOME GRANTS. PLAYS ARE PERFORMED FOR RESIDENTS, THEY HAVE WARRIORS, CONCERTS TO CLASSICAL MUSIC.

FACULTY ARE COLLEGES CONDUCT SOME SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. MORE RESEARCH IS IN MARINE BIOLOGY. MEDICINE AND ENGINEERING ARE NOT WELL. DEVELOPED.

EVERY-CULTURE.COM