Bahamas
Official Languages
The official language is English. There are some immigrant languages spoken here including Greek and Haitian. Greek has about 800 speakers and Haitian has about 20,000 speakers in the Bahamas. There are three languages listed for the Bahamas. Of these three languages, two of them are living languages and there is one that has no known speakers. There is some Creole spoken around the Haitian groups. Taino is one language that has become extinct. There is no second language. They have a Bahamian dialect of English. An example of this would “whay yuh tink use’a going” which is translated to “where are you going.” The locals here combine British English with their native language of African, Irish or Scottish heritage.
Official Languages
The official language is English. There are some immigrant languages spoken here including Greek and Haitian. Greek has about 800 speakers and Haitian has about 20,000 speakers in the Bahamas. There are three languages listed for the Bahamas. Of these three languages, two of them are living languages and there is one that has no known speakers. There is some Creole spoken around the Haitian groups. Taino is one language that has become extinct. There is no second language. They have a Bahamian dialect of English. An example of this would “whay yuh tink use’a going” which is translated to “where are you going.” The locals here combine British English with their native language of African, Irish or Scottish heritage.
History
Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. The islands had a group of people living there called Lucayans. This is a sub group of Arawak Indians. There was a British settlement that was established in the Bahamas in 1647 by a group of English settlers. The islands of the Bahamas became a British colony in 1783. In the 18th century, the Bahamas became a land that was inhabited by pirates. They gained independence in 1973. The economy has prospered since the 1950’s due mainly to the huge amount of money brought in by tourism. Although this is true, there is still struggle with education and health care.
Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. The islands had a group of people living there called Lucayans. This is a sub group of Arawak Indians. There was a British settlement that was established in the Bahamas in 1647 by a group of English settlers. The islands of the Bahamas became a British colony in 1783. In the 18th century, the Bahamas became a land that was inhabited by pirates. They gained independence in 1973. The economy has prospered since the 1950’s due mainly to the huge amount of money brought in by tourism. Although this is true, there is still struggle with education and health care.
Interesting Facts
The population of the Bahamas is around 320,000 people. There are 30 islands that are inhabited throughout the Bahamas. The literacy rate is 95 percent. The official name for the islands is The Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The currency used is equivalent to the US Dollar and it is called the Bahamian Dollar. Tourism accounts for over 60 percent of the money coming into the Bahamas. After tourism, the next important part of the economy is their financial services. The two main ethnic groups in the Bahamas are the Afro-Bahamians and the Europeans.
The population of the Bahamas is around 320,000 people. There are 30 islands that are inhabited throughout the Bahamas. The literacy rate is 95 percent. The official name for the islands is The Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The currency used is equivalent to the US Dollar and it is called the Bahamian Dollar. Tourism accounts for over 60 percent of the money coming into the Bahamas. After tourism, the next important part of the economy is their financial services. The two main ethnic groups in the Bahamas are the Afro-Bahamians and the Europeans.
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