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Nassau is the capital of The Bahamas. It is the largest city in the Bahamas and its low-rise sprawl dominates the eastern half of New Providence Island.

Additional Information

Founded around 1650 by the British as Charles Town, the town was renamed in 1695 to honor the ruling house in the Netherlands (and later England), which ultimately derives from Nassau Castle, Rhineland Palatinate. Due to the Bahamas' strategic location near trade routes and its multitude of islands, Nassau soon became a popular pirates' den, and British rule was soon challenged by the self-proclaimed "Privateers Republic" under the leadership of the infamous Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. However, the alarmed British soon tightened their grip, and by 1720 the pirates had been killed, switched to more legitimate businesses or driven out.

Nassau grew immensely after the end of the American War of Independence as many loyalists (and their slaves) who did not move to Canada settled here. Later free Blacks - including those freed from illegal slave ships by the British Navy - settled here.

Nassau would again profit from events in the US during the American Civil War when blockade runners made a small fortune. US policy would again inadvertently benefit Nassau when it became a party destination for those who could afford it during prohibition. The Bahamas in general and Nassau in particular were one of the first destinations for the international "jet-set" of people rich enough and blessed with enough free time to take - then prohibitively expensive - jet aircraft to party locations around the globe. The Cuban Revolution of 1959 further benefited the local tourism industry as the new regime was a lot less lenient towards gambling Americans and the mob or other North American "bourgeoisie" owning everything worth owning in Havana. Today Nassau has both become more accessible to people of more modest means and less exclusive due to it, but its close location to the US as well as its economic political and cultural ties to the US and the Commonwealth still make it a common tourist destination.

Today, with a population of 260,000, Nassau contains nearly 80% of the population of the Bahamas. However, it's still quite low-rise and laid back, with the pretty pastel pink government buildings and the looming giant cruise ships that dock daily.

Climate

Located slightly north of the tropics, Nassau has a tropical monsoon climate with considerable differences throughout the year in amounts of rain and rainy days. December to April are the driest months with 6-8 rainy days per month, whereas the rainest time of the year corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere summer months. Temperatures are warm throughout the year.

Orientation

Orienting yourself in central Nassau is fairly easy. Bay Street, which runs parallel to the shore, is the main shopping street, filled with an odd mix of expensive jewelry boutiques and souvenir shops. The hill that rises behind Bay St contains most of the Bahamas' government buildings and company headquarters, while the residential Over-the-Hill district starts on the other side.

© Sourced from Wikivoyage