Ragged Island is a island and
district
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 ...
in the southern
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
. Ragged Island is part of the Jumentos Cays and Ragged Island Chain. The crescent-shaped chain measures over in length and includes cays known as Raccoon Cay, Hog Cay and Double-Breasted Cay. Island ownership is stated to have been granted to William George Lockhart some time in the 18
th century. On 8 September 2017, Duncan Town took a direct hit from
hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...
.
Economy
Until recently the island had an active
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
industry, the salt ponds having been developed in the 19th century by Duncan Taylor, after whom Duncan Town, the only settlement, is named.
Due to the decline of the salt industry, which had peaked in the 1930s,
there has been a gradual emigration to more prosperous islands such as
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 246 ...
, Grand Bahama Island, Abaco Island, The Exumas and Eleuthera.
Population and people
The population of Ragged Island in the 2010 census was 72. Senator
Mizpah Tertullien
Mizpah Tertullien (1930 - 2015) was a psychologist and senator of the Bahamas.
Tertullien grew up on Ragged Island and graduated from the state high school. She ran as the Progressive Liberal Party in 1972 (losing to Sir Roland Symonette. She ...
was born on the island in 1930.
Duncan Town
Duncan Town is the only settlement in the entire Ragged Island chain and is situated within a bay of shallow water. The island contains a small airstrip, a harbor, and a lighthouse. A tower on the south end of the island is visible from ships transiting the
Old Bahama Channel
The Old Bahama Channel ( es, Canal Viejo de Bahama) is a strait of the Caribbean region, between Cuba and the Bahamas.
Geography
The strait/channel is located off the Atlantic coast of north-central and northeastern mainland and the Sabana-Camagü ...
.
Most of the inhabitants on the island are direct descendants of the original settlers and they bear their original family names, such as Moxey, Curling, Lockhart, Maycock, Munroe, Joffre, Wallace, and Wilson. One of the surnames Maycock originated from Maycock Cay. The familiar heritage and their remoteness have resulted in the islands being part of the “family islands” or “out island”. Although the island is remote and sparsely populated, many of its descendants have taken important roles within sailing & maritime affairs, politics, athletics, entertainment, and business.
In September 2017, the Prime Minister invoked a mandatory evacuation order for all members of the community to leave the island to allow for cleanup and the restoration of services, following a devastating hit by
hurricane Irma
Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused widespread destruction across its path in September 2017. Irma was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Maria two ...
. Eighteen residents who had not evacuated prior to the storm were affected by the request, which included the offer of an airlift to
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It is the location of the national capital city of Nassau, whose boundaries are coincident with the island; it had a population of 246 ...
. The prime minister subsequently offered to consider redevelopment of a more robust community if residents were agreeable.
As of March 2019, there are only limited attempts at restoring the island. In a speech on March 19, the Prime Minister evaded reporters questions concerning the proposed solar farm for the island. Construction of the solar farm began in December 2019. With the battery storage system finalized, the system is expected to supply at least 90% of the island's energy needs. The solar field was essentially completed in early February 2020 and was commissioned by the end of February.
Communications
In August 2005, a contract was signed with TYCO International to deploy a fiber-optic submarine cable in a self-healing ring topology, connecting 14 islands of the Bahamas; namely: New Providence, Andros, Eleuthera, Exuma, Long Island, Ragged Island, Inagua, Mayaguana, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Cat Island, Abaco, Crooked Island and Grand Bahama, at a cost of $60 million.
Transportation
The island relies on the "
mail boat
Mail boats or postal boats are a boat or ship used for the delivery of mail and sometimes transportation of goods, people and vehicles in communities where bodies of water commonly separate or separated settlements, towns or cities often where b ...
" for transportation to and from the major islands, as well as for freight and commerce.
The island is also served by
Duncan Town Airport
Duncan Town Airport is an airport located near Duncan Town, on Ragged Island in The Bahamas.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 13/31 with an asphalt
Asphalt, also kno ...
. Upgrades to the Duncan Town Airport (funded by the European Union) were commenced in 2006 at a cost of $650,000.
The dredging and construction of a dock in Ragged Island commenced in 2006, at an estimated cost of some $3.5 million.
Little Ragged Island
This small island of 93 ha (230 acres) is privately owned and was listed for sale in March 2021 according to
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
.
Beautiful private island in Bahamas goes up for sale 10 March 2021
/ref> The island sold for eleven million USD in February 2021.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ragged Island
Islands of the Bahamas
Districts of the Bahamas