Bahamas: flag, capital, currency and history

Flag of Bahamas

Download the flag of Bahamas as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇧🇸.

History of Bahamas

The Bahamian islands were first settled by the Lucayan people, a branch of the Taino. Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas in the islands in 1492, and the Lucayan population was later lost to Spanish enslavement and disease. English settlers arrived from the mid-seventeenth century, and the islands became a British crown colony in 1718 after efforts to suppress piracy. Enslaved Africans formed a large part of the population until slavery was abolished in the British Empire in the 1830s. The Bahamas became independent in 1973 and is a Commonwealth realm.

Key dates

1. 1492Christopher Columbus makes his first landfall in the Americas in the Bahamian islands.
2. 1648English settlers from Bermuda establish a settlement on Eleuthera.
3. 1718The Bahamas becomes a British crown colony under Governor Woodes Rogers.
4. 1834Slavery is abolished across the British Empire, including the Bahamas.
5. 1964The colony gains internal self-government.
6. 1973The Bahamas becomes independent on 10 July.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.

Currency of Bahamas

Bahamas uses the Bahamian dollar (BSD, $) and United States dollar (USD, $). Use our free currency converter to check exchange rates.

Frequently asked questions

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