Exploring the Bahamas opens the door to some very interesting facts many people are totally unaware of. The Bahamas actually comprises about 700 islands and cays with only 26 being inhabited by humans. To most people mentioning the term ‘Bahamas’ evokes one place of immediate recognition with that being Nassau. While Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas, it is not the only settlement on New Providence Island. The designation of Nassau as the name of the main settlement did not come into being until 1695 following the complete destruction of the original settlement whose name was Charles Town during a Spanish invasion in 1684.

New Providence Island is also home to one of the few remaining leper colonies in the world. The Lazararium at Adelaide Village on the southern tip of the island is still home to about 25 victims of the disease who choose to remain cloistered due to facial disfigurement.

Another popular area frequented by tourists is Paradise Island which is accessed by two one-way bridges spanning Nassau harbor. The original name of Paradise Island was Hog Island. This name came from the fact it was mainly a hog farming area. Hog Island came to prominence when it was purchased by supermarket magnate Huntington Hartford for development comprising hotels, golf courses and stately homes catering to the rich and famous. Among the former owners of Paradise Island is Donald Trump.

Grand Bahama Island is another popular tourist mecca. While it is home to the second largest city in the Bahamas, Freeport is not the capital of the island but rather the settlement of West End located some 30 miles north of Freeport. East End Grand Bahama is home to a new economic venture in movie filming. Movies in ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ series were produced there.