▁months ▁expl oring ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 9 – 1 5 0 0 . ▁Juan ▁de ▁la ▁C osa ' s ▁first ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World , ▁printed ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁shows ▁the ▁Ab aco ▁Islands ▁with ▁the ▁name ▁Hab aco a . ▁The ▁map ▁in ▁Peter ▁Mart yr ' s ▁first ▁edition ▁of ▁' De ▁Or be ▁Nov o ' ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 1 ▁shows ▁the ▁islands ▁of ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁but ▁does ▁not ▁name ▁them . ▁The ▁Spanish ▁expl orer ▁Juan ▁P once ▁de ▁León ▁land ed ▁on ▁Ab aco ▁in ▁ 1 5 1 3 . ▁The ▁Tur in ▁map ▁of ▁ 1 5 2 3 ▁clearly ▁shows ▁Ab aco , ▁now ▁named ▁I uc ay on ique . ▁This ▁remained ▁the ▁most ▁accurate ▁map ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁until ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁maps ▁of ▁the ▁Bah am as ▁were ▁produced . ▁Both ▁John ▁White ' s ▁map ▁of ▁ 1 5 9 0 ▁and ▁Thomas ▁H ood ' s ▁map ▁of ▁ 1 5 9 2 ▁show ▁the ▁islands , ▁as ▁did ▁a ▁map ▁produced ▁in ▁ 1 6 3 0 ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch man ▁de ▁La et . ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁the ▁Spanish ▁emp ire ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁was ▁focused ▁on ▁Hav ana . ▁Spain ▁regarded ▁the ▁now - dep op ulated ▁Bah am as ▁as ▁un prof itable ▁and ▁tre acher ous ▁to ▁navigate ; - ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 3 ▁a