The largest of the islands is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital and largest town in the district is George Town (population 1,437).[2] It was founded 1793 and located on Great Exuma. Near the town, but on Little Exuma, the Tropic of Cancer runs across Pelican Beach lending it another name: Tropic of Cancer Beach. Its white sand and turquoise waters make it a world-famous destination. The entire island chain is 130 mi (209 km) long and 72 sq mi (187 km²) in area.[3][4] Great Exuma island has an area of 61 sq mi (158 km²) while Little Exuma has an area of 11 sq mi (29 km²).[5]
Between 2000 and 2010, the population of Exuma more than doubled, reflecting the construction of large and small resort properties and the related direct air traffic to Great Exuma from locations as distant as Toronto, Canada. The population in 2010 was 6,928.[2]
Etymology
The indigenous Lucayan people called the Exuma Cays as Curateo, meaning "outer far distant land".[6]
History
Exuma was settled in or around 1783 by American colonial loyalists fleeing the Revolutionary War. The expatriates brought a cottonplantation economy to the islands. George Town was named in honour of George III, to whom the settlers maintained their loyalty. A few smaller cays still remain partially or wholly privately owned, albeit they are still referred to as part of the Exuma–Bahamas Cays; they are distinguished by a three-digit suffix number. The best known examples are adjoined cays Exuma 642 and 643, which are suffering from receding shorelines.
John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle, a Loyalist settler of the Exumas, is a major figure in the islands' heritage. Upon his death in 1842, he bestowed all of his significant Exuma land holdings to his slaves. As a result, towns on Great Exuma such as Rolleville and Rolletown were named after him.
The islands are a popular spot for yachting, sailing, diving, and coral reef and cave exploring.[7] Many of the unnamed beaches and coves of the islands, including extensive offshore reef areas, are included in the protected Exuma National Land and Sea Park or the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park of the Bahamas National Trust. Some of the islands on which there are permanent residents and resorts include Great Exuma, Little Exuma, Stocking Island, Staniel Cay (home of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a fixture in the Exumas), Fowl Cay, Musha Cay and Iguana Cay.[8] Thunderball Grotto, located just a few hundred yards off Staniel Cay, is one location where the James Bond film Thunderball was filmed. Sandy Cay, just a short boat ride from Little Exuma was the location used for filming the Pirates of the Caribbean beach scenes and a Shell commercial.[citation needed] The novel Wind from the Carolinas was set in Great Exuma.[9]
The Exumas are the historic home of the indigenous Lucayans, who were wholly enslaved in the 16th century, leaving the islands uninhabited until the 18th century.[citation needed] In the intervening period, the Exumas provided many hideouts and stashes for pirates. Elizabeth Harbour was allegedly a favorite lair of Captain Kidd.[10]
In 2017, it was the site of the Fyre Festival, a fraudulent "luxury" music festival which became notorious online and in the media for its shambolic organization, and the numerous lawsuits that followed.[11]
Transportation
Main street in 1989 in Williamstown, Little Exuma
Exuma International Airport serves the island of Great Exuma including the city of George Town directly from Nassau, Miami, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, and Toronto. Staniel Cay and Black Point also have small airstrips commercially served by charter or scheduled charter airlines. A number of other cays have small airstrips, both private and public. Boat travel from Nassau to the Northern Exuma Cays is approximately one hour.
Local transportation may consist of taxis, rental vehicle or golf cart depending on the cay.
Exumian food is often similar or a slight variation of traditional Bahamian dishes.
The George Town Fish Fry is a collection of businesses, some of which are only open at night serving a variety of cuisine. It is popular among local residents and tourists alike.
Economy
Tourism is a crucial branch of the economy of the area.
The capital, George Town, is home to government offices, shops and services that serve both the traveling public and residents of the islands. As of 2021 there was 1 bank,[12] a police station, 2 grocery stores, 3 liquor stores, a gas station and 1 hotel within the town proper although there are a few other businesses nearby that are typically associated as being in George Town due to proximity.
There are a number of restaurants throughout Exuma, the majority of which serve variations of local cuisine, and a some that serve other cuisines such as Italian.
Fishing
Fishing is a part of both the local and tourism economies of Exuma. Visitors may fish on their own, hire a fishing guide or charter for sport while the local fishing economy primarily supports the local population's food supply. Locals can be often seen fishing from shore and bridges presumably for their own food, often using a hand line.
Known as the "Grey Ghost", bonefish can be found in the flats areas covered by as little as one foot of water, or less. Their fair colouration is perfectly adapted as camouflage against the sandy ocean bottom, making the fish difficult to spot in spite of the clear Bahamian waters. Anglers may employ spin casting equipment, but more often opt for fly-fishing in their hunt for bonefish.[13] Other flats fish targets may include permit and tarpon.
Fishing in Exuma is primarily separated into two broad regions, the shallower southern or western side and the deep water of Exuma Sound, although some inshore fishing grounds exist such as in Moriah Harbour National Park. These areas are habitat for other types of fish including various snapper, grunts, jacks, grouper are possible to be caught throughout the fishing areas in Exuma while pelagic species like wahoo, mahi-mahi, barracuda, marlin, tuna, sailfish and more[14] are primarily caught in Exuma Sound.
Tourism
The islands have built a reputation as a luxury travel destination.
Telecommunication
The telephone area code for the island is 242, which is the same as the rest of the Bahamas. There are 2 main telecommunication providers that cover most of the Exuma cays, Aliv[15] and BTC Bahamas.
High-speed internet is available from both providers with varying technologies such as DSL, cellular and fiber optic cable becoming available.[16]
Culture
The annual Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival, Regattas, Junkanoo and various "homecoming" events held in smaller settlements are highly anticipated in The Exumas by tourists and islanders alike. These festivals may focus on the food, sailing competition, arts, and music of the local culture.
Media
Because the population is so tiny, there is a small traditional media industry. The Bahamas is served by many newspapers, radio stations and web sites, whereas the local media on Great Exuma consists of The Blaze 98.3 FM. The Chain is a free newspaper published monthly and is the "one source for current and accurate information" on the chain of islands.[17]
Books
Some books have been written about living in Exuma, including Life on a Rock[18] and This Sweet Place: Island Living and Other Adventures.[19]
St. John's Baptist Church was built in 1892; St. Theresa's Church was built in 1960; St. Andrews Anglican Parish is the oldest church in Georgetown.[20]
The Baptist church of Farmer's Hill ordained Rev. Stephen Smith in 2015. Rev. Smith 'superseded' Dr. Irvin Clarke Sr., who had been pastor for the previous 45 years.[21] The culvert at Farmer's Hill is being repaired, with sustainable development by an islands construction company.[22]
Sailing is a popular sport in Exuma and with many competitions year-round. The Family Island Regatta in George Town is a recurring event at the beginning of every year. Others include the George Town Cruising Regatta[24] and Black Point Regatta.[25]
Rowing is being developed in Exuma with the aim of developing the island as an outlet for competitive and recreational rowing.[26][27]
The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and 88% of its population. The archipelagic state consists of more than 3,000 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, and is located north of Cuba and northwest of the island of Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the U.S. state of Florida, and east of the Florida Keys. The capital is Nassau on the island of New Providence. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force describes The Bahamas' territory as encompassing 470,000 km2 (180,000 sq mi) of ocean space.
This article talks about transportation in the Bahamas, a North American archipelagic state in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Lucayan people were the original residents of The Bahamas before the European conquest of the Americas. They were a branch of the Taínos who inhabited most of the Caribbean islands at the time. The Lucayans were the first indigenous Americans encountered by Christopher Columbus. Shortly after contact, the Spanish kidnapped and enslaved Lucayans, with the displacement culminating in the complete eradication of the Lucayan people from the Bahamas by 1520.
The Berry Islands are a chain of islands and a district of the Bahamas, covering about thirty square miles (78 km2) of the northwestern part of the Out Islands.
Andros Island is an archipelago within The Bahamas, the largest of the Bahamian Islands. Politically considered a single island, Andros in total has an area greater than all the other 700 Bahamian islands combined. The land area of Andros consists of hundreds of small islets and cays connected by mangrove estuaries and tidal swamplands, together with three major islands: North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. The three main islands are separated by bights, estuaries that trifurcate the island from east to west. It is 167 kilometres (104 mi) long by 64 km (40 mi) wide at the widest point.
The Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas, located about 193 miles east of Miami, Florida. The main islands are Great Abaco and Little Abaco, which is located just west of the northern tip of Great Abaco. There are several smaller barrier cays, of which the northernmost are Walker's Cay and its sister island Grand Cay. To the south, the next inhabited islands are Spanish Cay and Green Turtle Cay, with its settlement of New Plymouth, Great Guana Cay, private Scotland Cay, Man-O-War Cay, and Elbow Cay, with its settlement of Hope Town. Southernmost are Tilloo Cay and Lubbers Quarters. Another of note off Abaco's western shore is Gorda Cay, now a Disney-owned island and a cruise ship stop renamed Castaway Cay. Also in the vicinity is Moore's Island. On the Big Island of Abaco is Marsh Harbour, the Abacos' commercial hub and the Bahamas' third largest city, plus the resort area of Treasure Cay. Both have airports. A few mainland settlements of significance are Coopers Town and Fox Town in the north and Cherokee and Sandy Point in the south. Administratively, the Abaco Islands constitute seven of the 31 Local Government Districts of the Bahamas: Grand Cay, North Abaco, Green Turtle Cay, Central Abaco, South Abaco, Moore's Island, and Hope Town.
George Town is a town located on the island of Great Exuma in the Exuma district of the Bahamas. It had a population of 2,488 based on 2012 estimates.
Mayaguana is the easternmost island and district of The Bahamas. Its population was 277 in the 2010 census. It has an area of about 280 km2 (110 sq mi).
Acklins is an island and district of the Bahamas.
Great Harbour Cay is the major island in the north Berry Islands. It has a population of 353.
South Caicos is the seventh-largest island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, with a land area of 21.2 square kilometres. South Caicos is known for excellent fishing, both deep-sea and bone fishing, and scuba diving. South Caicos was formerly a salt exporter, the island still hosts a network of salt pans as a reminder of the industry. Today, the island's main income is derived from small-scale commercial fishing.
Cyclura cychlura figginsi, known by the common name of guana and sometimes called the Exuma Island iguana in the international literature, is a subspecies of the northern rock iguana, C. cychlura, that is found on the Exuma island chain in the Bahamas with an estimated wild population of 1,300 animals in 2004, it has been listed on the IUCN Red List as critically endangered.
The Bahamas National Trust is a non-profit organisation in the Bahamas that manages the country's 32 national parks. Its headquarters is located in New Providence in the Bay Street Business Centre, East Bay Street. Its office was formally located at The Retreat Gardens on Village Road. The Bahamas National Trust was created by an Act of Parliament in 1959, through the efforts of two groups of conservationists.
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a protected area in the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas. The protected area extends from Shroud Cay in the north to Bell Cay in the south. The vegetation consists of mangrove communities, with the east sides being clad in low scrub and the western sides with taller scrub. There are many epiphytic orchids and bromeliads.
West End is the oldest town and westernmost settlement on the Bahamian island of Grand Bahama. It is the current capital of Grand Bahama, contrary to the popular belief that Freeport City is the capital of the island. It is also the third largest settlement in The Bahamas. There is one airport in West End, West End Airport, which serves mostly private aircraft. Since the 1950s, the settlement of West End has fluctuated with the rise and fall of the adjacent resort developments.
Pig Beach located on Big Major Cay is a beach on an uninhabited island located in Exuma, the Bahamas. The island takes its unofficial name from the fact that it is populated by a colony of feral pigs which live on the island. It has become a tourist attraction in modern times.
Long Island is an island in The Bahamas that is split by the Tropic of Cancer. It is one of the Districts of the Bahamas and is known as the most scenic island in the Bahamas. Its capital is Clarence Town. The population of Long Island is 3,094 inhabitants.
Staniel Cay is an island located in The Exuma Cays, a district of The Bahamas.
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