Long Island Information

Image courtesy of Bahamas Tourist Office

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Only 130 km (80 miles) long and 6.4 km (4 miles) wide, Long Island is one of the most scenic hideaways in The Islands of the Bahamas, and famous the world over for its world-class scuba diving and bonefishing.

The island is divided by the Tropic of Cancer and bordered on each side by contrasting coasts - one with a soft white beach, and the other with rocky headlands that descend into the sea, forming boundaries for the crashing waves. The topography of the island varies as well - from sloping hills in the north east to low hillsides in the south, and from stark white flatlands, to swampland, to pristine beaches... all of which combine to create a picturesque landscape and a haven for sailors, sun-worshippers and holidaymakers alike.

History:

Originally named 'Yuma' by the Lucayan Indians, and renamed 'Fernandina' by Christopher Columbus during his voyage of discovery into the New World, 'Long Island' only became Long Island some time after it was settled by Loyalists from the Carolinas and their slaves in 1790. Having set up home, these first Europeans set about building large plantations and producing sea-island cotton, an industry which continued until the abolition of slavery made such enterprises unprofitable.

These days, many of the Loyalist mansions still stand as a reminder of the island's past. And although the plantations are overgrown and non-productive, breeding sheep, goats and pigs is popular, as is pothole farming, a method that uses holes in the limestone where fertile topsoil collects, in providing many of the other islands with peas, corn, pineapples and bananas.

As to the pace of life, little has changed there, too. Produce, animals and people still travel down the carriage road, built more than a century ago, to reach all the island's major settlements - Burnt Ground, Simms, Wood Hill, Clarence Town, Roses and South Point - which are all situated around the island's harbours and anchorages.

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