New Providence

Settlement

Although the first Europeans to visit the Bahamas were salt collectors from Bermuda , who collected sea ​​salt on the islands of Grand Turk and Inagua after 1670, the island of Eleuthera was constantly permanently populated for the first time, and soon after that, New Providence. The attraction of New Providence Island was one of the most protected natural harbors for small boats in the West Indies .

Pirate Refuge

Due to the presence of the harbor and the close proximity to the Strait of Florida, New Providence has become a haven of pirates , attacking mainly Spanish ships returning to Spain loaded with gold , silver and other treasures. The peak of pirate activity was in the period from 1715 to 1725 , after which the British government established an official colony and military headquarters with a center in the small town of Nassau , located on the shores of New Providence's harbor.

New Providence during the American Revolution

In February 1776, Esek Hopkins led a squadron of more than 7 ships in an attempt to attack the British island with a view to replenishing supplies and weapons. March 3, Hopkins landed the first naval assault forces of the United States with a strength of 250 marines and sailors. Under fire cover of the Providence (12) and Hornet (10) ships, the attackers captured Fort Montagne. The British retreated to Fort Nassau, but then surrendered to American troops. The Americans managed to capture 88 guns and 15 mortars, but most of the coveted gunpowder was taken out before capture. It took Hopkins two weeks to load his ships with booty before he returned home.

After the American Revolution

After the American Revolution, several thousand Tories emigrated to New Providence and the surrounding islands with their slaves in the hope of restoring plantation farming. Poor soils and rare rainfall doomed this enterprise to failure, and by the beginning of the 19th century, the Bahamas were almost depopulated. Salt production continued in some places, collecting sea-washed ashore after shipwrecks was a lucrative occupation in Big Bahamas , but New Providence was the only more or less prosperous island due to the presence of a large British military base. The fortresses were dilapidated and abandoned by 1850 . The island had two periods of successful economic development - during the Civil War in the United States and during Prohibition , when the island became the center of smuggling .

After 1960, New Providence became a vacation spot for Americans. Many tourist sites appeared there, including an in-depth harbor for short-term cruise ship calls and hotels with gambling establishments. On the island of New Providence, two-thirds of the 300 thousand Bahamians live, although their share has somewhat decreased with the development of Freeport on about. The Big Bahama .

New Providence is one of the 32 areas of the Bahamas . It is indicated on the map by number 32. The administrative center of the Area is the capital of the Bahamas, the city of Nassau . The area of ​​the district is 207 km². The population is 248 948 people (2010).