Afro-Bahamians
Afro-Bahamians or Bahamians of African descent are Bahamians whose ancestry lies within the continent of Africa, most notably West Africa. The first Africans to arrive to The Bahamas came from Bermuda with the Eleutheran Adventurers as freed slaves looking for a new life. Currently, Afro-Bahamians are the largest ethnic group in The Bahamas, accounting for some 85% of the country's population.
Europeans
European Bahamians, or Bahamians of European descent, numbering about 38,000,are mainly the descendants of the British Puritans and American Loyalists who arrived in 1649 and 1783 respectively. They form the largest minority group in The Bahamas making up some 12% of the population.
A small portion of the European Bahamian population is descended from Greek labourers who came to help develop the sponging industry in the 1900s. Although making up less than 1% of the nation's population, they have been able to preserve their distinct Greek culture.
One of the most interesting, if sometimes confusing features of the Bahamian genealogy is that most families have branches, and even immediate family members, spanning the entire spectrum between ‘ recognized white’ and ‘unequivocally black.’ A-Z of Bahamas Heritage (MacMillan Caribbean)