Which island is nassau on in the bahamas

In the post-war years, The Bahamas has become one of the world's foremost vacation resorts. In about 40, visitors wintered in The Bahamas. In , according to statistics supplied by the Ministry of Tourism, the total visitor arrivals rose by 4. Growth in sea arrivals abated to 5.

Tourism now accounts for just over 40 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Financial services, an important engine of The Bahamian economy, are responsible for 15 percent of GDP. The number of banks and trust companies licensed to operate within The Bahamas decreased by 17 to during The vast majority of them are branches, subsidiaries or affiliates of major banking institutions in North and South America and Western Europe. In addition, data from the Office of Registrar of Insurance Companies indicate that the number of licensed insurance companies, brokers and agents and managers in The Bahamas increased by one to at end , bringing the number of licensed insurance companies operating in the domestic sector to , while the number of external insurers remained at The Bahamas achieved independence from Britain July 10, , and is now a fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth and a member of the United Nations, the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of American States.

Under Prime Minister Lynden Pindling, who died August 26, , The Bahamas was governed by the Progressive Liberal Party for more than a quarter of a century, having won successive general elections in , , , , and Ingraham, and won the poll in May, The Right Hon. Perry G.

Hubert A. May, Dr. The Hon. Login e-Services FAQ's. Advanced Search. Bookmark Feedback Contacts. The Bahamas. Its accommodations may not be ideally located, but they are relatively inexpensive, sometimes even during the winter high season.

You can base yourself here and commute easily to the beaches at Paradise Island or Cable Beach. Some travelers even prefer Nassau because it's the seat of Bahamian culture and history -- not to mention the shopping mecca of The Bahamas. If high-rise hotels and glittering casinos are what you want, alongside some of the best beaches in The Bahamas, there is no better choice than Paradise Island, directly off Nassau's coast.

It has the best food, entertainment, hotels, and terrific beaches and casinos. Its major drawbacks are that it's expensive and often overcrowded. With its colorful history but unremarkable architecture, Paradise Island remains one of the most intensely marketed pieces of real estate in the world. The sands and shoals of the long, narrow island protect Nassau's wharves and piers, which rise across a narrow channel only m ft. More recent investors have included Merv Griffin.

The island today is a carefully landscaped residential and commercial complex with good beaches, lots of glitter some of it tasteful, some of it way too over-the-top , and many diversions. The island's name derives from the Spanish term gran bajamar "great shallows" , which refers to the shallow reefs and sandbars that, over the centuries, have destroyed everything from Spanish galleons to English clippers on these shores.

Thanks to the development schemes of U. Casinos, beaches, and restaurants are now plentiful. The compensation for that is a lower price tag on just about everything. This island, especially popular with families, also offers the best hiking in The Bahamas and some of the finest sandy beaches.

Its golf courses attract players from all over the globe and host major tournaments several times a year. Bimini is actually a pair of islands with a total area of 23 sq. Luxurious yachts and fishing boats are always docked at both islands' marinas. Throughout Bimini, there's a slightly run-down Florida-resort atmosphere mingled with some small-town charm think old-time Key West, before the cruise-ship crowds ruined it.

Sportfishing here is among the best in the world. Once the setting for Ernest Hemingway's Islands in the Stream, Bimini attracts big-game fishers for big-league fishing tournaments. If you'd like to follow in the footsteps of such famous anglers as Zane Grey and Howard Hughes, this is your island. In addition, the scuba diving here ranks among the country's very best. Between Nassau and Florida's coast, these odd islands -- which comprise only about 77 sq. This series of islets, cays, and rows of barely submerged rocks has extremely limited tourist facilities and is geared mostly toward well-heeled anglers, many of whom hail from Florida.

Most of the full-time population about people lives on Great Harbour Cay. These islands are a lot classier and more charming than Bimini. Made up of three major land areas connected by a series of canals and cays called bights, Andros makes up the largest landmass in The Bahamas.

It attracts divers, fishing enthusiasts, and sightseers. Most of the island is uninhabited and unexplored. Lodging options range from large resorts to small, plain guesthouses that cater primarily to fishermen. The world's third-largest barrier reef lies off the coast of Andros, and divers come from all over the world to explore it. The reef plunges 1,m 5, ft. Bonefishing here is among the best on earth, as is the marlin and bluefin tuna fishing. Known as the "Big Yard," the central portion of North Andros is mostly a dense forest of mahogany and pine where more than 50 orchid varieties bloom.

In South Andros, there's a sq. Any hotel concierge can arrange for a local guide to give you a tour of either of these natural attractions. This cluster of islands and islets is a mecca for yachters and other boaters who flock here year-round -- particularly in July, when the Regatta Time in Abaco race is held at the Green Turtle Club. For centuries, residents of the Abacos have built boats, although tourism is now the main industry.

Loyalists who left after the American Revolution settled here and built Cape Cod-style clapboard houses with white picket fences. Marsh Harbour itself has an international airport and a shopping center, although its hotels aren't as good as those on Green Turtle Cay and Elbow Cay.

Many of the Abacos are undeveloped and uninhabited.