The Bahamas–United States relations
This article is based partially or entirely on public domain works of the U.S. government, and thus may require cleanup. (February 2008) |
Bahamas |
United States |
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Bahamas – United States relations are bilateral relations between the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the United States of America.
History
The Bahamas and the United States established diplomatic relations in 1973.[1] Historically, they have had close economic and commercial relations. The countries share ethnic and cultural ties, especially in education, and The Bahamas is home to approximately 30,000 American residents. In addition, there are about 110 U.S.-related businesses in The Bahamas and, in 2005, 87% of the 5 million tourists visiting The Bahamas were American.
As a neighbor, The Bahamas and its political stability are important to the United States. The U.S. and the Bahamian Government have worked together on reducing crime and addressing migration issues. With the closest island only 45 miles from the coast of Florida, The Bahamas often is used as a gateway for drugs and illegal aliens bound for the United States. The United States and The Bahamas cooperate to handle these threats.[2] U.S. assistance and resources have been essential to Bahamian efforts to mitigate the persistent flow of illegal narcotics and migrants through the archipelago. The United States and The Bahamas also actively cooperate on law enforcement, civil aviation, marine research, meteorology, and agricultural issues. The U.S. Navy operates an underwater research facility on Andros Island.
The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection maintains "preclearance" facilities at the airports in Nassau and Freeport. Travelers to the U.S. are interviewed and inspected before departure, allowing faster connection times in the U.S.
Principal U.S. Officials
- Ambassador – Ned S. Siegel
- Deputy Chief of Mission – Timothy Zúñiga-Brown
- Management Officer – David Elmo
- Consul – Virginia Ramadan
- Political-Economic Section Chief – Daniel O'Connor
- Public Affairs Officer – Daniel O'Connor
Diplomatic missions
Bahamas has an embassy in Washington, D.C.,[3] and consulates-general in Atlanta, Miami, and New York City.
The U.S. Embassy for the Bahamas is located in Nassau, New Providence Island, The Bahamas.
See also
- North American Unions
- North American Free Trade Agreement
- Free Trade Area of the Americas
- Third Border Initiative
- Caribbean Community
- Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI)
- Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act
- Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
- Foreign relations of the United States
- Foreign relations of the Bahamas
References
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.[1]