Bahamas, The Introduction - 2005

Background:
Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.

NOTE: The information regarding Bahamas, The on this page is re-published from the 2005 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bahamas, The Introduction 2005 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bahamas, The Introduction 2005 should be addressed to the CIA.