Caribbean Tales - The Bahamas - Inagua
Inagua
Inagua is an anagram for the herbivorous animal common to its shores: the
iguana. Lying the farthest south in The Bahamas, it covers 645 sq. miles and
comprises the islands of Great and Little Inagua. 40 x 20 miles at widest
points. 321 miles southeast of Nassau; the southernmost tip of The Bahamas.
The third largest island in The Bahamas. The terrain is wild and desolate;
the climate desert-like. Great Inagua is synonymous with pink flamingos and
also Great Inagua provides a treasure of a different kind: salt, a critical
staple in the days before refrigeration. Sailing vessels called here regularly
to purchase the commodity, and the settlement of Matthew Town developed into
quite a prosperous trading post. Inagua's environment is ideal for salt production.
The weather is exceptionally dry and hot; the land is low and for the most
part flat, harsh, stark, and surreal. There are more cacti on Inagua than
anywhere else in The Bahamas, the salt-soaked earth making it impossible for
most other plants to survive. Miles of dazzling salt beds stretch toward the
horizon, creating a brilliant world, desolate and impressive.
Little Inagua is just five miles to the north. It covers thirty square miles
and is completely uninhabited except for herds of wild donkeys and goats (descendants
of stock introduced by the French) and a wide variety of bird life, including
a rare species of heron. Little Inagua will probably remain safe and secure
from human intrusion, because of a vast protective reef apron that prevents
boats from coming too close.