Lucayan Archipelago | |
|---|---|
 Location within the Caribbean | |
| Coordinates: 23°44′N 75°22′W / 23.74°N 75.37°W | |
| Continent | North America |
| Subregion | Caribbean |
| Countries and territories |
|
| Area | |
• Total | 14,308 km2 (5,524 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 443,000 |
| • Density | 24.6/km2 (64/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Bahamian, Turks Islander, Caicos Islander |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
The Lucayan Archipelago, also known as the Bahamian Archipelago, is an island group comprising the sovereign nation of Bahamas and the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago is in the Caribbean region, stretching from south-east of Florida in the mainland United States to the northern Hispaniola. There are about 740 islands and 2,400 cays, of which only 38 are inhabited.
History
The Lucayan Archipelago was first inhabited by the Lucayan people, a branch of the Taino community, who settled the islands from the 8th century CE to 16th century CE.[1] They were the first Indigenous Americans encountered by Christopher Columbus in October 1492.[2] Shortly after the contact, the Spanish started enslaving the Lucayans, leading to their complete eradication from some of the islands by 1520.[3] The Lucayan culture had its own language, government, customs, and traditions, and they engaged in extensive trade routes using dug-out canoes.[4]
Geography
The Lucayan island group comprising the sovereign nation of Bahamas and the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands is located in the North Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Caribbean region, it stretches over 1,000 km (620 mi) from south-east of Florida in the mainland United States to northern Hispaniola, and lies to the north of Cuba and the Antilles.[5] The archipelago consists of about 740 islands and 2,400 cays, with only 38 inhabited. About 700 of these islands and most of the cays are part of Bahamas, covering an area of 13,880 km2 (5,360 sq mi). These include 30 populated islands including the New Providence Island, home to the largest city of Nassau, and Andros, the largest island in the chain. The Turks and Caicos Islands comprises 40 islands and cays, eight of which are inhabited. It spans about 948 km2 (366 sq mi), and include the major islands of Providenciales, North Caicos, and Grand Turk.[5]
The Mouchoir Bank, the Silver Bank, and the Navidad Bank are a submerged continuation of the archipelago, to the southeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands.[6] The islands are situated on two large landforms consisting of limestone and coral formations. Most of the islands are low lying with the highest point, Mount Alvernia on Cat Island, reaching 63 m (207 ft) above the sea level. It has a tropical climate, characterized by warm temperatures, high humidity, and distinct wet and dry seasons. The archipelago also encounters tropical cyclones and hurricanes, which often restructure the geography of the islands.[5]
Islands
The Lucayan Archipelago was named for the original native Lucayan people. Julian Granberry and Gary Vescelius suggest the following Lucayan (Taíno) etymologies for various Lucayan islands.[7]
| Indigenous name | Modern name | Lucayan form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inagua | Inagua | i+na+wa | Small Eastern Land |
| Baneque | Inagua | ba+ne+ke | Big Water Island |
| Guanahaní | Little Inagua | wa+na+ha+ni | Small Upper Waters Land |
| Utiaquia | Ragged Island | huti+ya+kaya | Western Hutia Island |
| Jume(n)to | Crooked/Jumento | ha+wo+ma+te | Upper Land of the Middle Distance |
| Curateo | Exuma | ko+ra+te+wo | Outer Far Distant Land |
| Guaratía | Exuma | wa+ra+te+ya | Far Distant Land |
| Babueca | Turks Bank | ba+we+ka | Large Northern Basin |
| Cacina | Big Sand Cay | ka+si+na | Little Northern Sand |
| Canamani | Salt Cay | ka+na+ma+ni | Small Northern Mid-Waters |
| Cacumani | Salt Cay | ka+ko+ma+ni | Mid-Waters Northern Outlier |
| Macareque | Cotton Cay | Ma+ka+ri+ke | Middle Northern Land |
| Amuana | Grand Turk | aba+wa+na | First Small Land |
| Caciba | South Caicos | ka+siba | Northern Rocky |
| Guana | East Caicos | wa+na | Small Country |
| Aniana | Middle Caicos | a+ni+ya+na | Small Far Waters |
| Caicos | North Caicos | ka+i+ko | Nearby Northern Outlier |
| Buiana | Pine Cay | bu+ya+na | Small Western Home |
| Boniana | Pine Cays | bo+ni+ya+na | Small Western Waters Home |
| Yucanacan | Providenciales | yuka+na+ka | The Peoples Small Northern [Land] |
| Ianicana | Providenciales | ya+ni+ka+na | Far Waters Smaller [Land] |
| Macubiza | West Caicos | ma+ko+bi+sa | Mid Unsettled Outlier |
| Mayaguana | Mayaguana | ma+ya+wa+na | Lesser Midwestern Land |
| Amaguayo | Plana Cays | a+ma+wa+yo | Toward the Middle Lands |
| Yabaque | Acklins Island | ya+ba+ke | Large Western Land |
| Samana | Samana | sa+ma+na | Small Middle Forest |
| Yuma | Long Island | yu+ma | Higher Middle |
| Manigua | Rum Cay | ma+ni+wa | Mid Waters Land |
| Guanahaní | San Salvador | wa+na+ha+hi | Small Upper Waters Land |
| Guateo | Little San Salvador | wa+te+yo | Toward the Distant Land |
| Guanima | Cat Island | wa+ni+ma | Middle Waters Land |
| Ayrabo | Great Guana Cay | ay+ra+bo | Far Distant Home |
| Nema | New Providence | ne+ma | Middle Waters |
| Ciguateo | Eleuthera | siba+te+wo | Distant Rocky Place |
| Lucayoneque | Great Abaco | luka+ya+ne+ke | The People's Distant Waters Land |
| Bahama | Grand Bahama | ba+ha+ma | Large Upper Middle [Land] |
| Habacoa | Andros | ha+ba+ko+wa | Large Upper Outlier Land |
| Canimisi | Williams Island | ka+ni+misi | Northern Waters Swamp |
| Bimini | Bimini | bimini | The Twins |
Flora and fauna
The Lucayan Archipelago has a marine ecosystem that supports varies aquatic resident communities including large species such as spotted dolphins, common bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales. Various frogs, lizards, nonpoisonous snakes, and several species of bats can be found in coastal caves.[8] The islands are also home to diverse birdlife.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ "Lucayan People". Lucayan Sea. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ↑ Keegan, William F. (1992). The People Who Discovered Columbus: The Prehistory of the Bahamas. University Press of Florida . ISBN 0-8130-1137-X.
- ↑ "The Lucayans: the vanished indigenous people of the Bahamas". Expeditions.com. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ↑ "Lucayans". Turks and Caicos National Museum. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Lucayan archipelago". Lacgeo. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ Carew, James; Mylroie, John (1997). "Geology of the Bahamas". In Vacher, H.L.; Quinn, T. (eds.). Geology and Hydrology of Carbonate Islands, Developments in Sedimentology 54. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science B.V. p. 91. ISBN 9780444516442 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Granberry, Julian, & Gary Vescelius (2004). Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-5123-X.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "Lucayan Archipelago". Marine Mammal Habitat. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ↑ "Birds in Lucayan". Avibase. Retrieved 1 June 2025.