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Bahamas: Islands Of The Bahamas
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Newcomers to The Islands of The Bahamas quickly realize that they have stumbled upon not one, but many destinations. Between the "poles" of Grand Bahama and Great Inagua are 23 inhabited islands and thousands of unpopulated islets and cays (pronounced "keys"). Cosmopolitan Nassau, once ruled by pirates, seems a world away from the desert-like wildlife sanctuary of Inagua. On many of the islands, tiny villages seem lifted from the Massachusetts coast and set down amongst palms and pines and iridescent sands. These beautiful islands lie only 50 miles off the Florida coast - far closer than any destination in the Caribbean.
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New Providence (island, Bahamas), one of the islands of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, located 280 km (170 mi) east of Miami Beach, Florida. New Providence is 34 km (21 mi) long and 11 km (7 mi) wide and has a total area of 200 sq km (80 sq mi). Though it is one of the smallest of the inhabited islands of the Bahamas, New Providence is the most important because it is the site of Nassau, the capital as well as the main port and commercial and tourist center of the Bahamas. Flat, low, and sandy, with an average annual temperature of 21° C (70° F), the island is favored by a mild climate, fine coral beaches, and a tropical atmosphere, all of which have helped develop New Providence into a famous resort area.
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Since it was located close to Florida and well-travelled shipping channels, The Islands Of The Bahamas caught the attention of explorers, settlers, invaders and traders. These people shaped the colourful history of The Bahamas and made the country what it is today.
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A nation of more than 700 islands & cays, the islands of the Bahamas are scattered like jewels across 100,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. They extend from 50 miles off the coast of Florida to 60 miles north of the island of Cuba.
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The Islands of the Bahamas form a 100,00 sq mile archipelago that extends over 500 miles of the clearest water in the world. With the world’s third longest barrier reef and nearly a quarter of the worlds coral lying in their waters, these islands are simply not to be missed.
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When Christopher Columbus discovered the islands of the Bahamas in 1492 on his way to America, he named the largest island Gran Bajamar, "Great Shallows," a name that evolved through the centuries into Grand Bahama. The island is just 68 miles from West Palm Beach and is easily reached by plane or boat, making it a popular vacation spot for visitors looking for a taste of the tropics not far from home. The Freeport International Airport has been recently refurbished, opening the door even wider to visitors from all over the world.
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Islands Of The Bahamas