TIMELINES: What tropical archipelago gained independence from the U.K. on July 10, 1973?

Sunday, July 10, 2011

What tropical archipelago gained independence from the U.K. on July 10, 1973?

On July 10, 1973, the Commonwealth of the Bahamasan archipelago of about 700 islands with a land area of 3,888 sq milesattains independence from the United Kingdom. Christopher Columbus first encounter with the New World was landing on the shores of the Bahamas on October 12, 1492. The first British settlement was in 1647. It wasnt until 1717, however, that the Bahamas becomes a British Crown colony, established to combat rampant piracy in the region. Centuries later, the Bahamas have become synonymous with Caribbean tourismalthough technically speaking, the islands are not in the Caribbean.

Last week, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas was in the international spotlight for banning commercial shark fishing in its territorial waters spanning over 240,000 sq. miles. The law comes in response to an international campaign to combat finning, the practice of slicing off a sharks fin and throwing back the rest of the animal to die in the water. The fins are used to make shark fin soup, an increasingly popular, and expensive, Asian delicacy. The organization, Oceana, estimates that up to 73 million sharks are finned each year. In a statement last Friday, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the new regulations, which also prohibit any trade in shark products, comes in recognition of the importance of top predators like sharks, in sustaining healthy ecosystems and fish populations.