Lucayan Archipelago facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucayan Archipelago
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Location within the West Indies
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| Region | Caribbean/West Indies |
| Countries and territories | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14,308 km2 (5,524 sq mi) |
| Population
(2016)
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| • Total | 443,000 |
| • Density | 24.6/km2 (64/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Bahamian, Turks Islander, Caicos Islander |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
The Lucayan Archipelago (named for the original native Lucayan people), also known as the Bahama Archipelago, is an island group comprising the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The archipelago is in the western North Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba and the other Antilles, and east and southeast of Florida.
William Keegan writes that the Bahama archipelago includes the territories of both the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, adding: "Modern political considerations aside, the islands form a single archipelago with common geological, ecological, and cultural roots." The Lucayan Archipelago is not located in the Caribbean Sea.
Proposed federation
In 2010, the leaders of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands discussed the possibility of forming a federation.
Countries and territories
The Mouchoir Bank, the Silver Bank, and the Navidad Bank are a submerged continuation of the archipelago in the southeast, as are the Turks and Caicos Islands. While Mouchoir Bank belongs to the Turks and Caicos Islands, Silver Bank and Navidad Bank are part of the Dominican Republic.
Etymologies of island names
Granberry and Vescelius (2004) suggest the following Lucayan (Taíno) etymologies for various Lucayan islands.
| Spanish name | Modern name | Taíno form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inagua | Inagua | i+na+wa | Small Eastern Land |
| Baneque | Inagua | ba+ne+ke | Big Water Island |
| Guanahaní | Little Inagua | wa+na+ha+ni | Small Upper Waters Land |
| Utiaquia | Ragged Island | huti+ya+kaya | Western Hutia Island |
| Jume(n)to | Crooked/Jumento | ha+wo+ma+te | Upper Land of the Middle Distance |
| Curateo | Exuma | ko+ra+te+wo | Outer Far Distant Land |
| Guaratía | Exuma | wa+ra+te+ya | Far Distant Land |
| Babueca | Turks Bank | ba+we+ka | Large Northern Basin |
| Cacina | Big Sand Cay | ka+si+na | Little Northern Sand |
| Canamani | Salt Cay | ka+na+ma+ni | Small Northern Mid-Waters |
| Cacumani | Salt Cay | ka+ko+ma+ni | Mid-Waters Northern Outlier |
| Macareque | Cotton Cay | Ma+ka+ri+ke | Middle Northern Land |
| Amuana | Grand Turk | aba+wa+na | First Small Land |
| Caciba | South Caicos | ka+siba | Northern Rocky |
| Guana | East Caicos | wa+na | Small Country |
| Aniana | Middle Caicos | a+ni+ya+na | Small Far Waters |
| Caicos | North Caicos | ka+i+ko | Nearby Northern Outlier |
| Buiana | Pine Cay | bu+ya+na | Small Western Home |
| Boniana | Pine Cays | bo+ni+ya+na | Small Western Waters Home |
| Yucanacan | Providenciales | yuka+na+ka | The Peoples Small Northern [Land] |
| Ianicana | Providenciales | ya+ni+ka+na | Far Waters Smaller [Land] |
| Macubiza | West Caicos | ma+ko+bi+sa | Mid Unsettled Outlier |
| Mayaguana | Mayaguana | ma+ya+wa+na | Lesser Midwestern Land |
| Amaguayo | Plana Cays | a+ma+wa+yo | Toward the Middle Lands |
| Yabaque | Acklins Island | ya+ba+ke | Large Western Land |
| Samana | Samana | sa+ma+na | Small Middle Forest |
| Yuma | Long Island | yu+ma | Higher Middle |
| Manigua | Rum Cay | ma+ni+wa | Mid Waters Land |
| Guanahaní | San Salvador | wa+na+ha+hi | Small Upper Waters Land |
| Guateo | Little San Salvador | wa+te+yo | Toward the Distant Land |
| Guanima | Cat Island | wa+ni+ma | Middle Waters Land |
| Ayrabo | Great Guana Cay | ay+ra+bo | Far Distant Home |
| Nema | New Providence | ne+ma | Middle Waters |
| Ciguateo | Eleuthera | siba+te+wo | Distant Rocky Place |
| Lucayoneque | Great Abaco | luka+ya+ne+ke | The People's Distant Waters Land |
| Bahama | Grand Bahama | ba+ha+ma | Large Upper Middle [Land] |
| Habacoa | Andros | ha+ba+ko+wa | Large Upper Outlier Land |
| Canimisi | Williams Island | ka+ni+misi | Northern Waters Swamp |
| Bimini | Bimini | bimini | The Twins |
