Only 80 miles long and four miles wide, Long Island is one of the most scenic
hideaways in The Bahamas, famous for its world class scuba diving and bone
fishing. it is divided by the Tropic of Cancer sand is bordered by two
contrasting coastscapes, one with soft white beaches, the other with rocky
headlands that plummet straight into the crashing waves. The land varies from
sloping hillsides, to stark white flatlands, to swamps, to pristine beaches,
creating a picturesque haven for seamen and sun lovers alike.
Long Island was originally named Yuma by the Lucayan Indians and was renamed
Fernandina by Christopher Columbus upon his third landfall in the New World.
Then in 1790, Loyalists from the Carolinas and their slaves settled on
Fernandina. They built large plantations and produced sea island cotton until
the abolition of slavery, which rendered their businesses unprofitable. Today,
many of the loyalist mansions still stand as a reminder of the island's past.
Although the plantations are overgrown and non-productive, agriculture is still
a very important part of life.
Pothole farming, which is a method that utilizes natural holes in the limestone
where fertile topsoil collects, yields much of the food supply for the other
islands, including peas, corn, pineapples and bananas. Raising sheep, goats and
pigs is also popular amongst Long Islanders.
The pace of life has not changed much from Long Island's deep past. The carriage
road, built more than a century ago, is lined by the island's major settlements
of Burnt Ground, Simms, Wood Hill, Clarence Town, roses and South Point, all
situated around harbors and anchorages.
