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(Opposite) Tourists stroll the beach on Paradise Island. (Right) Palm trees and turquoise waters off the coast of Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas. Although together Nassau and Paradise Island (which are connected by bridge) make up less than 2 percent of the total land area of the Bahamas, 60 percent of Bahamians live there. 1

Islands and Cays

THE NATION OF the Bahamas is made up of 700 islands and cays lying to the southeast of Florida. Bordered on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south and west by the Gulf Stream, the Bahamas are not technically part of the Caribbean. New Providence and Grand Bahama are perhaps the best known of the islands that make up the Bahamas. The largest of the islands is Andros, a major bonefishing destination. Both Harbour Island and Eleuthera are famous for their fantastic pink sand beaches. Other large islands include Cat Island, Long Island, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana Island. Several island groups are also part of the Bahamas. Closest to Florida’s coast are the Bimini Islands. The Exuma Islands consist of more than 365 cays and islands totaling 130 square miles (337 square kilometers). The Abaco

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