Page 18 - Sphere No.19 (Jun 2007)

F O C U S
16 SPHERE
sharing with a wider audience. When Christopher Columbus left
Europe in 1492, the first land he set foot on in theWestern Hemi-
sphere was the Bahamian isle of San Salvador.
The late 1600s saw British settlement and the construction of
a small town on the island of New Providence that became the
Bahamian capital, Nassau, and home to one of the NewWorld’s
oldest parliamentary democracies. The pink-coloured House of
Assembly, together with the Senate and court buildings, still
dominates Parliament Square today.
ASK A FRIEND or colleague to paint a mental picture of the
Bahamas and most will conjure up images of crystal clear wa-
ters lapping against island beaches of white baby powder sand.
Children splash in the shallows while their parents sip fruit
cocktails underneath sun umbrellas; a speed boat pulls a water
skier through the water, snorkellers explore the abundant coral
and five-star hotels dot the coastline.
In short, a tourist paradise; but there is more than sea and sand
to the Bahamas story and it has a fascinating history that is worth

Hutchison boosts investment in island paradise
By Neil Hartnell
The
BAHAMAS
BOOM