BAHAMAS

 THE SEMITROPICAL BAHAMAS, where turquoise waters flow along miles of white sand beaches, include more than 2,000 cays, islets and rocks. Of the approximately 700 islands, 22 of the largest ones are inhabited. Beginning 50 miles (80 km) from the Florida coast, The Bahamas form a 760-mile (l,223-km) arc through the Atlantic, creating a natural barrier across the eastern gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. The island of Bimini is closest to Florida, while the southernmost island, Inagua, is 60 miles (97 km) from Haiti.
The two most popular tourist destinations in The Bahamas are the city of Nassau/ Paradise Island and Grand Bahama Island. The islands' capital, Nassau, on New Providence Island, is rich in colonial history and charm and offers varied opportunities for sports activities, shopping and sightseeing. Prestigious Paradise Island, a play-ground of the rich, is just across the bridge from Nassau. Freeport, the modern resort-residential complex on Grand Bahama Island, is more cosmopolitan and sports oriented than Nassau. Grand Bahama was developed more recently than Nassau and has become a favored resort, due in part to its nearness to Florida. About 80 percent of the people vacationing in The Bahamas are from the United States.
The Out Islands, known the world over for game fishing, scuba diving, sailing, pristine beaches and emerald-blue seas, extend as far as you can see. There are resorts in areas noted for their lack of commercial development, and where only the silver-top thatch palms and flamingoes claim residence. The principal Out Is-lands are Abaco, Eluthera and Exema. Abaco has naturally protected waters and dozens of offshore cays that make them a favorite with yachtsmen and fishing enthusiasts. Here there are excellent marinas, guides and boats for hire, and a championship golf course.

Just off the island of Eleuthera, with its picturesque little villages and exclusive resorts, are the charming settlements of Harbor Island, with its pink sandy beaches, and Spanish Wells, which in the old days served as a watering hole for Spanish galleons. The Exumas have many cays, most of which can be reached only by boat.

The Bahamas claim the distinction of being Christopher Columbus' first New World discovery. In 1492 he stepped ashore on an island originally called Guanahani and renamed it San Salvador. The Arawak Indians, who then populated the islands, were soon sent by the Spaniards to labor in the mines and sugar mills of Cuba and Hispaniola. However, the Spaniards did not settle here, and in 1629 King Charles 1 of England granted the islands to Sir Robert Heath, attorney general of England.

A group of English merchants and pioneers from Bermuda, known as the Eleutheran Adventurers, then came seeking religious freedom. They colonized Eleuthera in 1648 and attempted to establish the first republic in the New World.