Bahamas Travellers Guide

Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba

Facts & Figures

Total Area:13,940 sq km                         Land Borders: islands
Population: 303,770                               
Life Expectancy: 66 years                       HIV % Total Poulation:3%
Ethnic Groups: black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
Languages:English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Prime Minister:Perry CHRISTIE               GDP - Per Capita: $20,200

History

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.