Weather
Tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream.
Terrain
Long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills.
Currency
Bahamian Dollar (BSD)
Languages
English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)
Religion
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God 6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2%
Ethnic groups
black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%
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.
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