Lucayan 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 has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management. Because of its location, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.
(From the CIA World Factbook) ![Map of the Bahamas](http://www.clevelandpeople.com/images/bahamas/bahamas-map-c.jpg)
Tell us about the music, food, holidays, traditions, costumes, language and other qualities that makes people from the Bahamas so special.
Submit your Cleveland Bahamian cultural items.
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