Bahamas–United States relations

The Bahamas and the United States historically 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 especially 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 closely to handle these threats. 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--Brent Hardt
* Management Officer--David Elmo
* Consul--Virginia Ramadan
* Political-Economic Section Chief--Daniel O'Connor
* Public Affairs Officer--Daniel O'Connor

Diplomatic missions

The U.S. Embassy for the Bahamas is located in Nassau, New Providence Island, The Bahamas.

References

StateDept [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1857.htm#relations]

ee also

*North American Union
*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

External links

* [http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_989.html The United States Department of State] - The Bahamas
* [http://nassau.usembassy.gov/ The Embassy of the United States of America]
* [http://www.fbi.gov/contact/legat/americas.htm The Bahamas-Sub Office of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations]