The Bahamas, a nation made up of a chain of islands south and east of Florida. The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, as the country is officially known, is an independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The location, climate, and geography of the Bahamas combine to make the islands a popular tourist destination. The country’s southerly latitude and proximity to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream produce a pleasant climate year-round. A wealth of beautiful beaches facing blue-green waters adds to the idyllic picture. The islands entice thousands of visitors from the United States and more distant countries each year.

The first place Christopher Columbus landed when he came to the New World in 1492 was an island of the Bahamas. Columbus claimed the island for Spain and named it San Salvador. Historians are not sure which island Columbus landed on, but they think it may have been present-day San Salvador (formerly Watling Island) or Samana Cay.