3 facts
From its first permanent settlement in 1648 by English Puritans to gaining independence in 1973, the islands were under British rule. This long colonial period profoundly shaped the nation's legal system, language, and cultural identity.
These Arawak-speaking people migrated from the Caribbean islands around 800 AD and thrived across the archipelago for centuries. Their civilization was tragically decimated following European arrival due to disease and enslavement.
Historians widely believe San Salvador Island was Columbus's initial landing site in the New World in 1492, though other Bahamian islands are also debated. This event marked the beginning of European colonization of the Americas.