BAHAMAS, The

views updated Jun 27 2018

BAHAMAS, The. Official title Commonwealth of the Bahamas. A Caribbean country and member of the COMMONWEALTH, consisting of 700 islands and 2,000 cays. The islands have a mixture of English, Amerindian, Spanish, and Greek names, as in Grand Bahama, Great Abaco, Bimini, Andros, Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador, Great Exuma, Long Island, Acklins Island, Mayaguana, Great Inagua. Columbus visited the islands 1492. First European settlement 1647, by religious refugees from Bermuda. British colony 1717. Independence 1973. The term Bahamian English refers to a continuum of usage from creole to standard. It has been influenced by migration between the Bahamas and the US and by a tourist industry that caters mainly for Americans. Of all CARIBBEAN ENGLISH varieties, Bahamian English most closely follows AmE.