Geography played a crucial role in Bahamian history. In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World on the island of San Salvador in the eastern Bahamas. After observing the shallow sea around the islands, he said "baja mar" (shallow water or sea), and effectively named the area The Bahamas, or The Islands of the Shallow Sea.

Since it was located close to Florida and well-traveled shipping channels, The Islands Of The Bahamas caught the attention of explorers, settlers, invaders and traders. These people shaped the colorful history of The Bahamas and made the country what it is today.

Recent archaeological digs indicate people lived in The Islands Of The Bahamas as early as 300 to 400 AD. These people probably came from Cuba and relied on the ocean for their food.

In the 10th century, Lucayan Indians -- a subgroup of the Arawaks - settled in The Islands Of The Bahamas. The Lucayans had left the Lesser Antilles to avoid their enemies, the Carib Indians, who were known to be fierce warriors and cannibals. A peaceful group, the Lucayans were farmers who lived in thatch huts, used stone tools and made their own pottery. They were politically, socially and religiously advanced.

When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492 on San Salvador (some historians think he landed on Cat Island), there were about 40,000 Lucayans living in The Islands Of The Bahamas. Taking advantage of the people's gentle nature, he enslaved them three years later and shipped them off to Hispania to work in his mines. Slavery, disease and other hardships wiped out the entire tribe within 25 years of Columbus' arrival.