Page 1449 - Dive the Seas and More-2
P. 1449
LONG ISLAND, BAHAMAS “THE original inhabitants come from 14 slave
MOST SCENIC ISLAND OF THE plantations, from “Roses” in the South to
BAHAMAS” “Burnt Ground” in the North.
Descendants of African slaves and freed
Franko’s Long Island Mini-Map and Fish
Card Side 1: slaves were brought to the island by
British ships following the abolition of
From the small image to the left you can slavery. Along your Long Island journey
see that Long Island is about 80 miles you will see farms. Farming was once the
long, but is less than four miles wide. The mainstay of the Long Island economy,
Tropic of Cancer runs right through the however, a number of hurricanes in the
north third of Long Island. An ancient, late 1920s and early 1930s, together with
petrified coral reef common to the entire the Great Depression, devastated the area
Bahamas archipelago gives the island two and most of the islanders fled to the
very different coasts: The windward side United States to find a new life. These
is where the cliffs and caves of the east days farming is once again a mainstay
Long Island coast are exposed to the living at Long Island and it is the leading
crashing Atlantic; The leeward side is livestock-rearing island in The Bahamas
where soft, sandy beaches slope into the for sheep, goats and pigs. You will also
turquoise Bahamas Bank. Long Island is see farmers raising corn, peas, bananas,
thus one of the most picturesque islands in pineapples and other crops through
all of the Bahamas. You can image from pothole farming – utilizing the fertile
looking at this tiny map that this is a just a topsoil that gathers within holes in the
small island, but in reality it would take ancient coral limestone.
you hours to drive its length. It covers 173
square miles! Water Activities: Some visitors to Long
Island will enjoy the scenery, and a few
When you do drive the length of Long come to explore the island from end to
Island you find the terrain ranges widely end, but most come for the water
throughout the island, including white flat activities, such as scuba diving,
expanses from which salt is extracted, to snorkeling and fishing. Long Island’s
swamplands and marshes, to lovely pelagic fishes attract divers and
beaches. The beaches are steeply sloping fishermen, and the island is known for its
in the north and low and flat in the south. world-class fishing - especially bone
You will only encounter small villages in fishing. However, this mini-map was
your Long Island journey, as the entire inspired by Long Island’s famous and
island population is less than 4,000. It is fabulous diving. Some of Long Islands
interesting to know that Long Island’s most famous dive sites are located on the
