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Unique
Facts about the Islands
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More
Unique Facts
More
Unique Facts About The Islands Of The Bahamas
• The movies " Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3
are being filmed there.
21. Bimini is a mere 40 miles (80 km) from Florida Natural
World
22. 109 species of birds breed in the Islands
23. The world's first land-and-sea park was established in
the Exuma Cays in 1958
24. There are 120 species of plants found
25. Inagua is a birdwatcher's paradise with the world's largest
breeding colony of West Indian flamingos (over 60,000)
26. Several species of whales and dolphins, including blue
and humpback whales and spotted dolphin are found in the waters
Economy
27. Main exports are pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish
(spiny lobster) and refined petroleum products
28. Tourism generates 50% of the total GDP and directly/indirectly
employs half of the total workforce
People & Culture
29. According to the World Health Organization, only 3% of
women and 19% of men are smokers
30. Junkanoo (which has been compared to Carnival in Rio and
Mardi Gras in New Orleans) is a colorful and uniquely Bahamian
parade held on Boxing Day and New Year's Day
31. A native of Nassau is called a Nassuvian
32. Has a population of 305,000. 70% of the people live onNew
Providence Island (home of the capital city Nassau), which
is only the eleventh largest island
Sports, Arts & Entertainment
33. HE Sir Sidney Poitier (1963 Oscar winner for Best Actor
in Lillies of the Field and an Honorary Award in 2002) is
Ambassador for The Bahamas to Japan. Sir Sidney was born in
Miami, but is of Bahamian parentage and grew up in there.
34. Bahamian tennis player Mark Knowles along with Daniel
Nestor (Canadian) won the Men's Doubles Championship at the
2002 Australian Open
35. In 2001, Bahamian group Baha Men won a Grammy Award in
the dance-recording category for their hit Who Let the Dogs
Out
36. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia, the results
were analyzed on a per capita basis for the first time. It
was revealed that with two medals (1 gold and 1 silver), The
Bahamas actually won the Games
37. The Bahamas women's 4x100 relay team (athletics) won a
silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a gold
medal at the 2000 Games in Sydney
38. Feature films using Bahamian locations include The Outsider,
Silence of the Lambs, Cocoon I & II, Flipper, Thunderball,
Splash, Never Say Never Again, Zeus and Roxanne, Jaws the
Revenge and Speed 2
Famous Visitors/Residents
39. On a visit in the 1760s, George Washington referred to
The Bahamas as the 'Isles of Perpetual June'
40. From 1940-1945, HRH The Duke of Windsor was Royal Governor
41. Eleuthera has been a romantic hideaway for the British
Royal Family for many years. This 110 mile long island is
where HRH Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana spent
a holiday in 1982 and where Prince Edward proposed to Sophie
in 1999.
Other Facts
42. Cascarilla bark grown in a few Out Islands is used to
flavor Campari and Vermouth
43. There is no income or corporate tax and no capital gains
or inheritance tax
44. We drive on the left, but most vehicles are left-hand
drive
45. The Graycliff Restaurant is a five star restaurant situated
in a 250 year old mansion in Nassau. It has one of the largest
wine cellars in the Western Hemisphere with over 200,000 bottles
of the world's finest vintages and also has its own cigar
factory.
46. Bimini is the big gamefishing capital of the world and
is also where Ernest Hemingway lived from 1935 to 1937
Fun Facts
47. The ratio of flamingos to people on Great Inagua is 61:1
48. The Nassau Public Library (an octagonal building) was
originally a jail
49. Some unusual island names are Ragged Island, Crooked Island,
Rum Cay, Conception Island, Exuma, Big Farmer's Cay and Great
Sayle Cay
50. Paradise Island was originally called Hogg Island.
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