Caribbean Cruise Destinations: The Bahamas

Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 260,000 (2008 census), nearly 80 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas (330,000). Lynden Pindling International Airport, the major airport for The Bahamas, is located about west of Nassau city centre, and has daily flights to major cities in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The city is located on the island of New Providence, which functions much like a federal district. While there is no local government, it is governed directly as an administrative division of the national government. Nassau is considered a historical stronghold of pirates.

Freeport is a city and free trade zone on the island of Grand Bahama, located approximately east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is a district of the Bahamas.

Category: Image - :Wallace-groves.jpg|frame|left|none|Wallace Groves, Founder of Freeport

In 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests on the island, was granted of pineyard with substantial areas of swamp and scrubland by the Bahamian government with mandate to economically develop the area. The city of Freeport was built, which has grown to be the second most populous city in The Bahamas (26,910 in 2000) after the capital, Nassau.

The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) operates the free trade zone, under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement signed in August 1955 whereby the Bahamian Government agreed that businesses in the Freeport area will pay no taxes before 2054. The area of the land grants has been increased to 138,000 acres (558 km²).

Freeport Harbour is accessible by even the largest vessels, and has a cruise terminal, a transshipment/container port, and both a private yacht and ship maintenance facility. Grand Bahama International Airport handles nearly 50,000 flights each year.

Category: Image - :Fhc bro.jpg|frame|left|The Grand Bahamas Shipyard makes Freeport an important location on the eastern seaboard for vessel maintenance, with its facilities capable of handling some of the largest vessels in the world

Tourism , which topped over a million visitors a year but has considerably diminished since 2004 the year of two major hurricanes to hit the island. Much of the tourist industry is centered on the seaside suburb of Lucaya, owing its name to the pre-Columbian Lucayan inhabitants of the island evidence of whom has been found on the island. The city is often promoted as "Freeport/Lucaya." Most hotels on the island are located along the southern shore facing the Northwest Providence Channel. Primary shopping venues for tourists include the (mostly closed since damage caused by Hurricane Frances and labor issues closed the nearby hotel) International Bazaar near downtown Freeport and the Port Lucaya Market Place in Lucaya.

The English author Justin Hill was born here in 1971.

Booklovers would be pleased to know that there are two public libraries on the island - the Charles Hayward Library, which has been manned solely by volunteers for most of its life and the Grand Bahama Public Youth Library. The chief librarian at the Charles Hayward Library is Elaine Talma.

There are two drama groups on the island - the Freeport Players Guild - originally made up of expatriates to provide entertainment for their community. Their productions were musicals, comedies and drama - usually the more successful British productions. The Grand Bahama Players represented the indigenous population, staging productions by Bahamian, American and Caribbean playwrights. Their talent was of a standard which allowed them to perform internationally - most notable being at the United Nations.

Freeport boasts three national parks administered by the Bahamas National Trust. The Rand Nature Centre (named in honour of its founder James Rand), Petersons Cay a small isle about 300 yards off the shore of Grand Bahama and the Lucayan National Park founded by Peter Barratt a former Architect/Town Planner of Freeport. The Lucayan National Park is in extent and includes five ecological zones stretching from the south shore to the pineyard. There is an extensive underwater cave cave system beneath the Park.

The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in these sectors in 2001-03. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. In addition to tourism and banking, the government supports the development of a "third pillar", e-commerce.