 The five administrative districts of the Abaco | |
  Abaco  Abaco | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 26°28′N 77°05′W / 26.467°N 77.083°W |
| Archipelago | Bahamas |
| Major islands | Great Abaco Island, Little Abaco Island |
| Area | 2,009 km2 (776 sq mi)[1] |
| Administration | |
| Island | Abaco |
| Largest settlement | Marsh Harbour (pop. 5,314) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 16,587[2] (2022) |
| Pop. density | 8.6/km2 (22.3/sq mi) |
The Abaco Islands lie in the north of The Bahamas, about 193 miles (167.7 nautical miles or 310.6 km) east of Miami, Florida, US. The main islands are Great Abaco and Little Abaco, which is just west of Great Abaco's northern tip.[3] There are several smaller barrier cays, of which the northernmost are Walker's Cay and its sister island Grand Cay. To the south, the next inhabited islands are Spanish Cay and Green Turtle Cay, with its settlement of New Plymouth, Great Guana Cay, private Scotland Cay, Man-O-War Cay and Elbow Cay, with its settlement of Hope Town. Southernmost are Tilloo Cay and Lubbers Quarters. Also of note off Abaco's western shore is Gorda Cay, now a Disney-owned island and cruise ship stop renamed Castaway Cay. Also in the vicinity is Moore's Island. On the Big Island of Abaco is Marsh Harbour, the Abacos' commercial hub and The Bahamas' third-largest city, plus the resort area of Treasure Cay. Both have airports. Mainland settlements include Coopers Town and Fox Town in the north and Cherokee and Sandy Point in the south.[4] Administratively, the Abaco Islands constitute seven of the 31 Local Government Districts of The Bahamas: Grand Cay, North Abaco, Green Turtle Cay, Central Abaco, South Abaco, Moore's Island and Hope Town.
- ^ Bower, Paul (1997). "Abaco Islands". In Johnston, Bernard (ed.). Collier's Encyclopedia. Vol. I A to Ameland (First ed.). New York, NY: P.F. Collier. p. 4.
- ^ "Census population and housing" (PDF). Bahamas Gov. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ BirdLife International (2023). "Important Bird Area factsheet: Little Abaco". Data Zone. BirdLife International. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ Estabrook, Sandy. "Welcome to the Abacos". abacoescape.com. Retrieved 28 July 2015.