From: (No Email available)

Date: 2003-11-01 18:13:53

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The Bahamas Welcome You!

The Bahamas are very beautiful, warm islands that are sure to please you. There are many restaurants, markets, and casinos for your enjoyment. The Bahamas have a very vivid culture, and we hope you enjoy your trip!

The 281,000 people here in the Bahamas are mostly black, although there are some mulattoes (people of a white and black descent). More than 90% here can read and write because law requires children five to fourteen to go to school, although there is only one college in the entire Bahamas. The religious denominations are Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, and Roman Catholic.

The government here is constitutional monarchy, which means that one person runs it. Queen Elizabeth II happens to be the Head of State. There are forty-nine members in the House of Assembly, and sixteen members in the Senate. The members of the Assembly are appointed five-year terms. The Head of Party is also the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister appoints Senators.

The history of the Bahamas is long, but interesting. In the 1400?s, the Lucayo Indians inhabited the Bahamas, and Christopher Columbus had claimed San Salvador for Spain. Then he enslaved the Lucayo Indians and used them for gold mining. Then the British came and settled in. At first, Spain didn?t challenge the British settlements, but in the late 1600?s, the Spanish attacked the British, while pirates also raided the British colonies. But the British won, and the Bahamas became British in 1717. Their colonial government kept out pirates, and the Spanish gave up their claim in 1783. After the Revolutionary War, British loyalists from America brought slaves to the Bahamas. But, Britain abolished slavery, so it all worked out.

The economy here on our islands mainly consists of tourism, which is definitely the most important industry, exports, such as pharmeceuticals, crawfish, rum, cement, salt, hormones, and aragonite, and food processing. The islands? vivid subtropical atmosphere makes the Bahamas a very popular place. The many casinos attract people, too. Farmers also grow crops such as bananas, citrus fruits, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pineapples for money.