Andros, Bahamas

Andros Island (Bahamas)

Discovered in 1550 by the Spanish

Andros Island is the largest island of the Bahamas at roughly 2300 square miles 104 miles long and 40 miles wide at its widest point. This island is a huge travel spot for people from all over the world. Andros has a rich history behind it filled with blood and glory.

After the Spanish landed on Andros Island (in search of slaves) they managed to destroy all of the local indigenous Lucayan people on the island with the warring and disease that they brought with them. All during the eighteen-hundreds pirates occupied the island paradise. Freed slave also used this island as a safe haven in the nineteen-hundreds creating the largest part of the local population.

Andros has a population of over ten thousand now yet it also has the least number of people per square mile of all of the Bahamas. Most of these people live on the east coast of the island in the three major towns on the island; Nicholl's Town, Congo Town and Andros Town.

The island if filled with natural beauty. Having the second largest beerier reef in the Northern Hemisphere which is one hundred and forty miles long and has a drop off of over six thousand feet. The water above the reef is only about twelve feet deep on average too. There are more than forty square miles of forest area and more so swamp land that is inhabited by fifty or more different varieties of orchids. Andros is actually made up of two different islands adjoined by these deep swamp lands. Two hundred different types of birds are native to the island. This is also the least explored island of the Bahamas.

Unlike most of the Bahamian islands Andros has been saved from development. Making it that much more beautiful.

Much fresh water comes from this island. About seven thousand gallons of fresh water is shipped to Nassau a day. Andros has thousands of miles of fresh water rivers that come from rain water collected in the many caves in the island's interior.

The natural beauty of Andros Island draws thousands of visitors there every year. Anglers come from all over the world to fish there. It is said to be "the bone fish capital of the world. Divers come to explore the great reef and all of its wonderful coral formations and marine life. There are many hotels and resorts on the island too.

Androsia is manufactured in Andros. Androsia is the local type of clothing for the Bahamian people, usually in bright vibrant colors. It is also home of the Bahama Lumder Company which provides all of the Bahamas with lumber for its development.

Andros is hit by a hurricane an average every two and a half years.