PEOPLE
Eighty-five percent of the
Bahamian population is of African heritage. About two-thirds of
the population reside on New Providence Island (the location of
Nassau). Many ancestors arrived in the Bahama Islands when they
served as a staging area for the slave trade in the early 1800s.
Others accompanied thousands of British loyalists who fled the
American colonies during the Revolutionary War.
Haitians form the largest immigrant community in The Bahamas. 30,000 - 50,000 are estimated to be resident legally or illegally, concentrated on New Providence, Abaco and Eleuthera islands.
School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16. The government fully operates 158 of the 210 primary and secondary schools in The Bahamas. The other 52 schools are privately operated. Enrollment for state primary and secondary schools is 50,332, with more than 16,000 students attending private schools. The College of The Bahamas, established in Nassau in 1974, provides programs leading to bachelors and associates degrees. Several non-Bahamian colleges also offer higher education programs in The Bahamas.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bahamian(s).
Population (2005): 323,000.
Annual growth rate (2005): 1.2%.
Ethnic groups: African 85%, European 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%.
Religions: Baptist (32%), Roman Catholic, Anglican, Evangelical Protestants, Methodist, Church of God, Rastafarian, Traditional African.
Language: English (official); Creole.
Education (2003): Years compulsory--through age 16. Attendance--92%. Literacy--95.5%.
Health (2005): Infant mortality rate--19.0/1,000. Life expectancy--70.5 years.
Work force (2004): 176,330; majority employed in the tourism, government, and financial services sectors.
