[This material is no longer current. Updated data will be
posted.] Background: 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. (Source: CIA—The World Factbook)
Security Assistance Funding: (Source: 2009 Congressional Budget
Justifications for Foreign Operations) ($ in thousands)
|Account||FY 2007||FY2007||FY 2008||FY 2008||FY2009| Direct
Commercial Sales: (Source: 2007 Section 655 Report) In FY 2007,
the Department of State authorized the export of defense
articles and services valued at $1,496,391.