Geography played a crucial role in Bahamian history. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World on the island of San Salvador in the eastern Bahamas. After observing the shallow sea around the islands, he said "baja mar" (shallow water or sea), and effectively named the area The Bahamas, or The Islands of the Shallow Sea.

The late 1600s to the early 1700s were the golden age for pirates and privateers. Most of the ones you've heard about—like Sir Francis Drake and Blackbeard—used The Islands Of The Bahamas as their port at one time or another.

The 300,000 people who live in The Islands Of The Bahamas are predominantly of West African descent. Their ancestors were slaves brought to the islands to work the cotton plantations, until 1834, when Britain abolished slavery in all its territories. Most white residents are descendants of English settlers who emigrated from Bermuda in 1647 to gain religious freedom. Some are also related to the Loyalists who fled the southern United States during the American Revolution and built enormous plantations here.

The laid-back attitude of Bahamians is often misunderstood by those unaware that it has evolved from years of a good life in a land where nature provided for just about every need for housing, food, and livelihood. Bahamians like to think that there is always time to worry about the bad things tomorrow. Bahamians are humorous, helpful people who love to celebrate. Weddings and funerals in The Islands Of The Bahamas are especially important social events. People begin celebrating a marriage weeks before the official ceremony begins, and the passing of loved ones is commemorated by parties long after they are gone.

The tourism industry began in the mid-19th century with government support for the construction of hotels and subsidized steamship service. Tourism once again blossomed in the 1920s when Prohibition brought well-to-do American tourists to the islands. The influx of visitors increased the demand for food, lodging and other items. Consequently, the banking industry boomed as The Islands Of The Bahamas built new hotels, warehouses, bars, distilleries and wharves.

After the repeal of Prohibition, The Islands Of The Bahamas went into an economic slump that lasted until the 1940s and World War II, when it served as an air and sea way-station in the Atlantic. Construction of the base brought jobs to many people.

Then in 1961, when Cuba (with its glitzy casinos and beach resorts) was closed to American tourists, The Islands Of The Bahamas’ good fortune began. Capitalizing on its close proximity to the United States, the government of The Islands Of The Bahamas set out to increase the number of people who visited it each year. It dredged Nassau’s harbour so it could accommodate up to six cruise ships at a time and it built a bridge connecting Nassau to Paradise Island.