Factbook
History of Bahamas — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Bahamas, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
Last updated: October 2026
1492Lucayan Indians inhabited the Bahama islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World in 1492.
1647British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783.
1973Independence: 10 July 1973 (from the UK).
1973Since gaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas has prospered through tourism, international banking, and investment management, which comprise up to 85% of GDP.
2018Major urban areas: 280,000 NASSAU (capital) (2018) high-income tourism and financial services economy; major income inequality; strong US bilateral relations; several tax relief programs; targeted investment in agriculture, energy, light manufacturing, and technology industries Inflation: 0.4% (2024 est.).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 99.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 104.409 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: tourism, banking, oil bunkering, maritime industries, transshipment and logistics, salt, aragonite, pharmaceuticals Agriculture: sugarcane, grapefruits, vegetables, bananas, tomatoes, chicken, tropical fruits, oranges, coconuts, mangoes/guavas (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Languages: English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) Religions: Protestant 69.9% (includes Baptist 34.9%, Anglican 13.7%, Pentecostal 8.9% Seventh Day Adventist 4.4%, Methodist 3.6%, Church of God 1.9%, Plymouth Brethren 1.6%, other Protestant 0.9%), Roman Catholic 12%, other Christian 13% (includes Jehovah's Witness 1.1%), other 0.6%, none 1 Urban population: 83.6% of total population (2023).
2024Military spending: 0.7% of GDP (2024 est.).