Kylie Hodgson

GCU 114
November 17, 2015
Connections between biodiversity and cultural diversity
After studying the meaning and background of the connections
between biodiversity and cultural diversity it is evident that these two
terms can cause a lot of controversy and change in regions that least
expect it. In the Bahamas, the biodiversity of the country is large as it
is an island nation that is isolated from other regions of the world.
Much like Australia, The Bahamas has had to adapt to the isolation as a
country and also as an ecosystem. This coexistence is what leads for
the correlation between the biodiversity and the cultural diversity of
this region.
For being such a small nation, The Bahamas is ranked in the top
40 countries that provide the most tourism, according to the World
Bank. With this number being so staggering and The Bahamas seeing
over 1 million people coming to their island every year, you can say
that this is a major cultural aspect of the islands. With the presence of
tourism Bahamian people are able to find jobs that would not be
available if it wasnt for tourism. With the presence of tourism a certain
daily routine of life is adapted. Thus creating the culture surrounding
the most current events of the nation.

Its natural environment in many ways has influenced the culture

of the country. With the beautiful climate, tourists flock from far and
wide to experience a day on these islands. As the years go on, the
number of travelers, with some fluxation, has been increasing since
2011, according to the World Bank. With this said the natural
environment brings up the economic status of the country, thus
creating a place of cultural diversity.
With the presence of 10 ethnic backgrounds present on the
islands it is easy to say that cultural diversity is evident. With every
ethnic background aligning with a particular cultural background, the
mix of cultures creates the Bahamian culture as a whole. This culture is
what relies on the biodiversity of the country as well as the cultural
diversity of this country. Some ethnic backgrounds have only come to
The Bahamas in search of a particular aspect of life; whether it be the
booming economy or the vast majority of a diversity that this country
offers. With the biodiversity being something that is going under
changes on a daily basis, it is important to identify the hindrances of
the biodiversity aspect of this country.
Some of the environmental issues that will affect the countrys
biodiversity include the lack of portable water, the lack of adequate
garbage collection, low maintenance of public areas such as parks and
benches, and the presence of many abandoned vehicles on the sides
of the road. These factors affect the biodiversity of the country

because it changes the environments that certain living things should

be living in. If an area of water gets polluted that is mainly sued for
fishing because the trash is not adequately collected, this could effect
vacationers and change the economic status of the country and
ultimately decrease the amount of people coming to the islands which
would decrease the need for so many employees, which would cause
for a loss in the job market, which would cause unemployment, which
could lead to some families leaving the islands, overall changing the
cultural make-up of the islands a whole.
Resources:
Bahamas Department of Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18,
2015, from http://statistics.bahamas.gov.bs/
International tourism, number of arrivals. (n.d.). Retrieved November
18, 2015, from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL?
order=wbapi_data_value_2011 wbapi_data_value wbapi_data_valuefirst&sort=desc
The Bahamas - Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2015,
from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/The-BahamasENVIRONMENT.html
The Bahamas - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 18, 2015, from
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/globaletiquette/bahamas.html