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The islands' vivid subtropical atmosphere : brilliant sky and sea, lush vegetation, flocks of bright-feathered birds, and submarine gardens where multicolored fish swim among white, rose, yellow, and purple coral : as well as rich local color and folklore, has made the Bahamas one of the most popular resorts in the hemisphere. The islands' many casinos are an additional attraction. Tourism, which has grown rapidly since the end of World War II, is by far the country's most important industry. Although declining tourism in the late 1980s did serious damage to the country's economy, tourism continues to provide half of the gross domestic product and to employ about 40% of the workforce. Offshore banking is the nation's other economic mainstay. Pharmaceuticals, crawfish, rum, cement, salt, hormones, and aragonite are among the chief exports. The Bahamas also possess facilities for the refining and transshipment of petroleum. Since the 1960s, the transport of illegal narcotic drugs has been a problem, as has an unprecedented flow of illegal refugees from other islands.
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