Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. Christopher Columbus arrived at Dominica in late 1493, but Carib hostilities discouraged Spanish settlement. Following centuries of French and British rivalry for control of the island, British possession of Dominica was recognized in 1783. Dominica gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. Possessing few natural resources, Dominica has historically depended on the export of agricultural goods, bananas in particular, to drive its economy. But this sector is highly vulnerable to weather conditions and to other external shocks affecting commodity prices. In recent years, in response to decreasing European Union banana trade preference, Dominica has attempted to reduce its reliance on banana exports and developing other agricultural products. Dominica is potentially a great tourist attraction for its high, rugged mountains, rainforests, freshwater lakes, and hot springs, but development of the tourism industry remains difficult because of poor infrastructure and the absence of an international airport.