Abaco Islands, Archipelago in The Bahamas
The Abaco Islands form a chain roughly 190 kilometers long in the northern Bahamas with Great Abaco and Little Abaco as the largest landmasses surrounded by many smaller coral reefs and offshore cays. The coastline shifts between shallow lagoons with clear water, mangrove forests and rocky headlands backed in parts by pine forests inland.
British Loyalists founded the first European settlements on these islands in 1783 after fleeing during the American War of Independence bringing around 1500 people to the region. The newcomers built colonial-style houses and established plantations while bringing their traditions and legal system from the former American colonies.
Traditional wooden boat construction continues in several small island workshops where craftspeople use tools and methods handed down through generations. On Man-O-War Cay some workshops still follow these techniques and supply local fishermen and sailors across the region.
Marsh Harbour serves as the main transport hub with Leonard M. Thompson International Airport offering connections to other islands and international destinations. Small ferries and private boats run between the outer cays linking smaller settlements to the larger towns on the mainland.
The lighthouse at Elbow Reef remains the last lighthouse worldwide still operated with kerosene and continues to warn ships through traditional combustion technique. The light is ignited by hand every evening and checked regularly during the night.
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