• CRIME: Long Island is virtually “crime free”. There is a police station on the island, however, the locals will tell you that police are not needed.
• POPULATION: Approximately 2,992 Bahamians (2000 Consensus). Which is said to be up to 4,000 now.
• LANGUAGE: English
• GEOGRAPHY: Long Island lies about 250 miles southeast of Nassau. It is approximately 90 miles long and 4 miles wide. The Atlantic Ocean is on the eastern shoreline and is normally windier than the calmer Great Bahamas Bank side is on the west. The Tropic of Cancer runs right through Long Island. It is 300 miles away from Florida.
• TIME ZONE: Eastern Standard Time
• CURRENCY: The legal tender is the Bahamian dollar (B$1), which is equivalent in value to the US dollar. Both US and Bahamian dollars are accepted interchangeably throughout the islands. Travelers Checks and Credit Cards (credit cards not accepted at all gas stations) are also accepted. There are ATM’s available at the banks on Long Island.
• ECOMONY: After the American Revolution, Long Island was divided into Loyalist Estates. Most of the towns are named after farming loyalists who left by 1803 due to exhausting the thin soil. For the last 200 years Long Islanders have managed to live off of farming, fishing, salt production and sponge farming. The height of sponge farming was approximately 1921. After which synthetic sponges took over the market in the 1930’s.
• NATIONALITY: Bahamian
• ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Passports required. Check current travel restrictions for your country during the COVID-19 outbreak
• DRIVING: Bahamian’s drive on the left side of the road (remember: right is left). It is hard to get lost on Long Island as one road named Queen’s Highway runs the entire length of the island.
• INTERNET: DSL is on the island. We do have Internet at our villa.
• ELECTRICITY: 120/240 volts, suitable for all US appliances.
• MEDICAL: There is a medical clinic on the island and helicopter ambulance services. No tropical diseases exist on the island. There is a little poison oak (but not as much as on the other Bahamian islands).
• DRINKING WATER:  The water in our villa is fresh outdoor rainwater. It is collected in our 17,000 gallon cistern. It is drinkable, however, many people still purchase drinking water. Please conserve the use of water if possible as it can run out if it does not rain for awhile. In the case of water running out, water can be purchased for $100. per 2,000 gallons in Clarence Town, they deliver.
• HIGHEST POINT ON LONG ISLAND BAHAMAS: 178 feet
• AREA (Sq Miles)of Island: 173 sq. miles (80 miles long x 4 miles wide at the widest point)
• MARINAS: There are two main marinas on Long Island, Bahamas click here for details.
• SAILBOATERS: Long Island seems to be a sailboaters dream as plenty of Sailboats rest in Salt Pond on a nightly basis. It is not uncommon to view 10 to 50 sailboats in the harbor resting overnight. There are plenty of marina’s for those wishing to dock their boat (see ‘about Long Island’ above).
• ACCOMMODATION: There are no brand name hotels on the island. There is only one choice of where to stay in our opinion. Our highest recommendation is our own rental vacation villa. Click here for more information.
• HISTORY: The earliest inhabitants called the Arawaks, named Long Island “Yuma”, then Christopher Columbus in 1492 renamed it Fernandina Island, however, the name that stuck was Long Island because it is indeed long. Lucayan Taino were also known to inhabit the island. These Lucayans were eventually taken on to Cuba and Hispaniola. Then island remained virtually empty until the arrival of the Loyalist who started cotton plantations. When slavery was abolished in 1834, the Loyalist’s left.
• SELF SUPPORTING If something happened to the rest of the world or the other Bahamian islands, it would probably not effect Long Island in the least. Long Islanders have developed their own sense of a country and are fully capable to support themselves if need be.
• LARGEST BODY OF WATER: Called ‘The Lake’ and is located at the south end.
• AKA = Long island was named Yuma (by it’s Arawak inhabitants) and Fernandina by Columbus.
• CROPS: Farmers of Long Island raise corn, bananas, peas, pineapples, stock herd (goats, roosters) among other things. However, they are not huge businesses. Their main job is that of a fisherman.  Plantains, pineapple, sisal, corn, peas, bananas, avocado, limes, pears and other fruit.
• ECONOMY: Known for its mutton production, Long Island is still the principal producer of sheep for The Bahamas.
• NAMES: Long Island was originally named Yuma by the Arawaks. Rechristened Fernandina in 1492 by Christopher Columbas, the island’s current name came from a seafarer who felt it took too long to pass by Long Island.
• CELEBRATIONS

CornFest: a celebration of the fruits of the local farmer’s labour.

Long Island Regatta in May or June

Basketball Festival: 3rd week of February

Model Boat Fest: North of Seymors on Newton’s ca, Model Boat Fest takes place at Bridge Beach near Seymours each August or October, call Alvin Smith for details 242-338-5273

Mutton Festival:  Held in April.

Winter Residents party:  Held in February.

IMPORTANT NUMBER OF LONG ISLAND.