Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the archi ...
, and is one of its
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
. Cat Island also has the nation's highest point,
Mount Alvernia
Mount Alvernia (formerly Como Hill) is located on Cat Island in the Bahamas and is the highest point in the country at above sea level. The mountain shares its name with a school in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Originally named "Como Hill", it was ren ...
(formerly known as Como Hill). It rises to and is topped by a
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
called ''The Hermitage''. This assembly of buildings was erected by the Franciscan "Brother Jerome" (
John Hawes
John Cyril Hawes (7 September 1876 – 26 June 1956) was an architect and priest. Hawes was known for designing and constructing church buildings in England, Western Australia and The Bahamas. He served as a priest in the Church of England b ...
).
History
The first white settlers were
Loyalists
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
fleeing the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, who arrived in 1783. The island may have been named after Arthur Catt, a
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
, or the name may refer to its one-time large population of
feral cats
A feral cat or a stray cat is an unowned domestic cat (''Felis catus'') that lives outdoors and avoids human contact: it does not allow itself to be handled or touched, and usually remains hidden from humans. Feral cats may breed over dozens ...
.
Historically, the island gained wealth from cotton plantations, but
slash and burn
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a farming method that involves the cutting and burning of plants in a forest or woodland to create a field called a swidden. The method begins by cutting down the trees and woody plants in an area. The downed vegeta ...
farming is now the main way of life for Cat Islanders. An economic crop is '' Croton eluteria'' (called also cascarilla) bark, which is gathered and shipped to Italy where it becomes a main ingredient in medicines, scents and
Campari
Campari () is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an apéritif (20.5%, 21%, 24%, 25%, or 28.5% ABV, depending on the country where it is sold), obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit (including chinotto and cascarilla) in alcohol a ...
.
Until written accounts were found, Cat Island was thought to be
Guanahani
Guanahaní is an island in the Bahamas that was the first land in the New World sighted and visited by Christopher Columbus' first voyage, on 12 October 1492. It is a bean-shaped island that Columbus changed from its native Taíno name to San S ...
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with t ...
.
Demographics
The population of Cat Island is 1,522 (2010 census). The main settlements are Dumfries, New Bight,
Arthur's Town
Arthur's Town is a town in the Bahamas. It is located on Cat Island. The population is 143 as of the 2010 census.Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Go ...
),
Orange Creek
Orange Creek is a small stream in north-central and northeast Florida, that drains Orange Lake to the Ocklawaha River. Privately owned Orange Springs provides part of the water volume.
Description
Part of the Ocklawaha River drainage basin, O ...
Tea Bay
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and norther ...
is also the birthplace of Bahamian musician
Tony McKay
Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey (18 February 1942 – 25 January 1997), known professionally as Tony McKay and Exuma, was a Bahamian musician, artist, playwright, and author best known for his music that blends folk, carnival, junkanoo, ...
, better known as
Exuma
Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands, also called cays.
The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capita ...
, and
internet celebrity
An Internet celebrity (also known as a social media influencer, social media personality, internet personality, or simply influencer) is a celebrity who has acquired or developed their fame and notability through the Internet. The rise of social m ...
/
MMA fighter
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
Dada 5000
Dhafir Harris (born August 4, 1977) known as Dada 5000, is a Bahamian-born American who is a former mixed martial artist and internet celebrity with his no holds barred street fight videos. He starred in '' Dawg Fight'' which is about street figh ...
.
New Bight Airport
New Bight Airport is an airport in New Bight on Cat Island in The Bahamas.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 09/27 with an asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ...
At the top of Como Hill is Mt. Alvernia Hermitage on
Mount Alvernia
Mount Alvernia (formerly Como Hill) is located on Cat Island in the Bahamas and is the highest point in the country at above sea level. The mountain shares its name with a school in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Originally named "Como Hill", it was ren ...
, the highest point in The Bahamas. This small stone monastery built by hand by the architect hermit, Father Jerome, is at the peak and accessible by a trek up a steep rocky incline.
Just south of the Hermitage are the ruins of Armbrister Plantation.
Armbrister Creek flows into a clear lake called "Boiling Point" or "Boiling Hole" whose tidal conditions cause bubbles and burps, the conditions which lead to folklore of a sea monster below its surface. Rays and baby sharks can be found in the lake. In addition, numerous birds can be found nesting along its mangrove fringe.
Located in Bain Town is another lake. This wide deep lake called Mermaid Hole is said in local folklore to be home to a
mermaid
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Mermaids are sometimes asso ...
that lives amongst the 4 bed holes within that lead to caverns and passageways.
One of the major attractions in Cat Island Bahamas is the Big Blue Hole near Orange Creek at Dickies Road. The hole is very deep and it has a strong undercurrents flowing into the sea. Many objects such as dead farm animals tossed into the lake ended up reaching the ocean through its caverns. Local folklore says that a monster lived in Big Blue Hole that devours horses. This folklore is said to still scare local fisherman from venturing too far into this freshwater lake.
Dickie's Road goes east to Griffin Bat Cave, once a hideout for slaves.
Sitting atop a ridge alongside the road in the settlement of Old Bight is St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, built by Father Jerome, with frescos, engravings and sculptures.
In the Port Howe area of Cat Island, are the ruins of an 18th-century plantation at Deveaux House mansion. It was given to Colonel Andrew Deveaux in 1783 for protecting Nassau from Spanish invasion and occupation.
In Knowles, there is a museum called the Columbus World Centre Museum. In South Bight there is the childhood home of Sir
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive Go ...
, Academy Award winner.
Places
*
Arthur's Town
Arthur's Town is a town in the Bahamas. It is located on Cat Island. The population is 143 as of the 2010 census.Old Bight
* New Bight
* Port Howe
* Devil's Point
* Dumfries