Bahamas

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 have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, 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.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Bahamian dollar (ISO code: BSD)
 * Central bank discount rate: 5.25% (31 December 2008)
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 5.5% (31 December 2008)
 * Stock of money (M1): $1.255 billion (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $4.637 billion (31 December 2008)

Links

 * Bahamas on Wikipedia
 * Central bank of Bahamas
 * BBC country profile