Early history of the Bahamas.

History of The Bahamas. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Western Hemisphere in The Bahamas. The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia wrote, "Historically the islands are of interest, because one of them San Salvador was the first land of the New World discovered by Columbus, 12 October, 1492. The Spanish never made a permanent settlement in the Bahamas, but shortly after the discovery they carried off many aborigines to the mines of San Domingo, and ere long …

…to add 3,000 new jobs and $4.4 billion to the Bahamian economy in the coming years. In addition, the Bahamian Government sold offshore exploration licenses to Kerr-McGee Group to search for oil. The Bahamian Government also has adopted a proactive approach to courting foreign investors and has conducted major investment missions to the Far East, Europe, Latin America, and Canada. The primary purpose of the trips was to restore the reputation of The Bahamas in these markets.