The Bahamas was inhabited as early as 300 to 400 A.D. by a group of Arawak Indians known as the Lucayans. Originally from South America, they may have been driven north by the less peaceful Carib Indians. In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. While Columbus claimed the island for Spain, Spain did not attempt to settle The Bahamas. They did however operate slave raids that depopulated the region. By the time the English arrived in the 1600’s the islands were once again virtually uninhabited.

In the 1600’s various English kings granted the islands to various loyal subjects. Due to poor agricultural conditions, pirates and the occasional attacks by the Spanish, these settlements were not successful. Later, as a result of the American Revolutionary War, immigrants from America (Loyalists) and their slaves moved to The Bahamas and a period of successful agricultural development began. Though The Bahamas became a British colony in the 1700’s, the Spanish did not relinquish their claim on the islands until 1783 under the Treaty of Paris.

In 1838, with the abolishment of slavery in Great Britain, slaves settled in the islands and became farmers and fishermen.

During the American Civil War, Nassau became one of the major supply bases for the Confederacy and almost a century later became the centre for training of Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force crews during World War II.

A politically stable country, The Bahamas has operated as a parliamentary democracy without interruption for 275+ years. In 1973, the islands became an independent nation – The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The current Prime Minister is the Honourable Perry Gladstone Christie who is the head of government and an elected official. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet make up the Executive Branch of government. The Legislative Branch includes the Senate and the House of Assembly. The Judiciary is comprised of Her Majesty’s Privy Council, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the Magistrates Courts.

The Bahamas remains a member of the Commonwealth and has symbolic links to Great Britain including their appointed Governor-General who represents the Queen of England. In addition, The Bahamas is a member of the United Nations, OAS, an associate member of CARICOM and is involved in economic, tourism-based and diplomatic affairs with the USA, Canada, Great Britain and the nations of the Caribbean region.

For more information on the current Government, see the Government & Community Blue Pages.