Bahamas, The

Overview

The Bahamas archipelago of 700 islands is made up of such differing formations that the visitor is unlikely to fail at finding a place to spend some time that is not to their liking. West Indian flamingos or great inagua, the Lucayan National Park which includes the largest underwater cave system in the world on Grand Bahama, shipwrecks for dive exploration around Conception island, canoeing though the Armbrister Creek mangrove swamp on Catt island, sitting on the interestingly named Cabbage, Caves and Love beaches on Paradise Island or wading through Royal Victoria Garden and Fort Fincastle up the Queen's Staircase in Nassau, the country's capital on New Providence Island.

The list does not there. Wonder at the stone blocks off Bimini which some claim to be from the fated Atlantis, dive amongst the world's third largest reef off Andros or observe the Long Island Regatta. Fishing, diving, most water sports and of course lazing on one of the beaches are all easy ways of spending time in the spectacular Bahamas.

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. The populace is predictably friendly and more religious than one might expect. Local newspapers will reveal religious references by elected officials in a manner that exceeds what would be found in the American South. This devotion does nothing to prohibit the activities of visitors nor is it intended to. There is a very "libertarian" attitude about personal morals.