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July 10

Bahamas Gains Independence from United Kingdom (1973)


On July 10, 1973, the Bahamas gained full independence from Britain but remained part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The Bahamas consists of approximately 700 islands and thousands of cays or small islands or rocks. It covers an area of over 5,300 square miles and extends 760 miles from the Florida coast on its north-west tip to Haiti on its south-east tip. Around thirty islands are inhabited, including Grand Bahama, New Providence (where the capital, Nassau, is located), and San Salvador.

The Bahamas were originally inhabited by Arawak Indians who had migrated from South America. However, after Columbus landed on San Salvador in 1492 the Spanish shipped many of the Arawaks into slavery to mines in Hispaniola and Cuba where many died.

The United States brought prosperity to the Bahamas through the American Civil War where war supplies such as ammunition and medical provisions went through the Bahamian ports. After the American Civil War, around 6,000 Americans and their slaves settled in the Bahamas.

Today, the Bahamas has become a top tourist destination. According to the Ministry of Tourism, over 4.5 million tourists visited the Bahamas in 2003. The Bahamas also acts as an international banking and financial center because of its favorable corporate tax laws.