Which colonial power did the Bahamas formerly belong to?

Explanation

The Bahamas is a nation of islands located in the Atlantic Ocean between Florida and Cuba. The island nation has around 300,000 inhabitants and the biggest city, which is also the capital, is Nassau. Geographically, the Bahamas belong to the same chain of islands as Cuba. The nation is a former British colony, but gained its independence in 1973. It is now a member of the Commonwealth. The Bahamas was the first landfall in the New World for Christopher Columbus in 1492.