The Bahamas is made up of 700 islands and cays in the Atlantic Ocean, situated
between Florida, Cuba and the Caribbean. The tropical climate makes the islands
attractive to sun-lovers, although in summer and autumn, hurricanes often pass
very close to – or even through – the islands.
Nassau, the capital, lies on the shore of a protected harbour on New Providence
Island. Its population of 180,000 makes this the largest city in the archipelago,
and in fact roughly two-thirds of the country’s population live on this
island. The city was founded by the British in the mid 1600s as Charlestown,
but was renamed in 1695 in honour of William III of Orange-Nassau, successor
to the English throne. It became a popular haven for pirates during the 18th
century, including the famous and fearsome Blackbeard. Later in the same century,
the Spanish attempted to invade Nassau, and in 1776, American revolutionaries
briefly gained control of the city. Tourism took off in the 1960s when Cuba
was closed to American tourists, and the government dredged Nassau’s harbour
to accommodate up to six cruise ships at a time, as well as building hotels
and resorts.
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| Abaco |
Bahams are a set of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off of Florida whose economy
heavily dependes upon tourism and offshore financial services, though manufacturing
and agricolture is also present ... |
| Andros |
At 6000 kilometres squared, Andros is the largest island in the Bahamas. It
is 167 kilometres long and 64 kilometres wide, and boasts the world’s
third-largest barrier reef, which is 22... |