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Bahamas, The flag Bahamas, The
Bahamas, The
Quick Facts
Region:
Caribbean
Full Name:
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Capital City:
Nassau
Language Spoken:
English (official),
Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Personnel risk: LOW
Evacuation risk: LOW
Lucayan 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.