Guanahani

Guanahani is the name of the island where Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492 for the first time entered the soil of America. He gave the island, which was named after his information from the locals Guanahani, out of gratitude for the successful crossing the new name of San Salvador (Spanish for: Holy Savior, Saviour ). He agreed peacefully with the indigenous inhabitants and their chief; the crews of three ships drove with them a little bartering. From Guanahani the explorers sailed on to the great West Indies island of Hispaniola, which lies 500 km south.

Identity of the island

Since the Spaniards the island uninhabited and completely enslaved natives to 1520, the island's identity is still subject to scientific controversy. The Government of the Bahamas is since 1925 on the assumption that what is now known under the name of San Salvador (formerly Watling Iceland ) island Guanahani is.

The National Geographic Society in 1986 calculated the route with the help of computer programs from the logbook of Columbus and newly arrived to the thesis, Samana Cay is the island that Columbus discovered on 12 October 1492. Since then, however, carried out by the same principle studies have repeatedly come even to completely different results, since the log of the first trip is only obtained in a made ​​by Bartolomé de Las Casas copy, which also in many parts of its contents only in summary reproduces and thus different interpretations are broad space.