Lucayan Archipelago

The Lucayan Archipelago, also known as the Bahamian Archipelago, is an island group comprising the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The archipelago is in the western North Atlantic Ocean, north of Cuba and the other Antillean Islands, and east and south-east of Florida.

Lucayan Archipelago
Archipelago
Location within the Caribbean
Coordinates: 23.74°N 75.37°W / 23.74; -75.37
Continent	North America
Subregion	Caribbean
Countries and territories	2  Bahamas  Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom)
Area
• Total	14,308 km2 (5,524 sq mi)
Population  (2016)
• Total	443,000
• Density	24.6/km2 (64/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Bahamian, Turks Islander, Caicos Islander
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)

William Keegan writes: "Modern political considerations aside, the islands form a single archipelago with common geological, ecological, and cultural roots."^[1] Though it is sometimes considered part of the Caribbean region, the Lucayan Archipelago is not geographically located within the Caribbean Sea.

Countries and territories

• The Bahamas
• Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom)

The Mouchoir Bank, the Silver Bank, and the Navidad Bank are a submerged continuation of the archipelago, to the southeast of the Turks and Caicos Islands.^[2] Mouchoir Bank is disputed between the Turks and Caicos Islands and Dominican Republic; Silver Bank and Navidad Bank are part of the Dominican Republic.

Etymologies of island names

The Lucayan Archipelago was named for the original native Lucayan people. Julian Granberry and Gary Vescelius suggest the following Lucayan (Taíno) etymologies for various Lucayan islands.^[3]

Indigenous name	Modern name	Lucayan form	Meaning
Inagua	Inagua	i+na+wa	Small Eastern Land
Baneque	Inagua	ba+ne+ke	Big Water Island
Guanahaní	Little Inagua	wa+na+ha+ni	Small Upper Waters Land
Utiaquia	Ragged Island	huti+ya+kaya	Western Hutia Island
Jume(n)to	Crooked/Jumento	ha+wo+ma+te	Upper Land of the Middle Distance
Curateo	Exuma	ko+ra+te+wo	Outer Far Distant Land
Guaratía	Exuma	wa+ra+te+ya	Far Distant Land
Babueca	Turks Bank	ba+we+ka	Large Northern Basin
Cacina	Big Sand Cay	ka+si+na	Little Northern Sand
Canamani	Salt Cay	ka+na+ma+ni	Small Northern Mid-Waters
Cacumani	Salt Cay	ka+ko+ma+ni	Mid-Waters Northern Outlier
Macareque	Cotton Cay	Ma+ka+ri+ke	Middle Northern Land
Amuana	Grand Turk	aba+wa+na	First Small Land
Caciba	South Caicos	ka+siba	Northern Rocky
Guana	East Caicos	wa+na	Small Country
Aniana	Middle Caicos	a+ni+ya+na	Small Far Waters
Caicos	North Caicos	ka+i+ko	Nearby Northern Outlier
Buiana	Pine Cay	bu+ya+na	Small Western Home
Boniana	Pine Cays	bo+ni+ya+na	Small Western Waters Home
Yucanacan	Providenciales	yuka+na+ka	The Peoples Small Northern [Land]
Ianicana	Providenciales	ya+ni+ka+na	Far Waters Smaller [Land]
Macubiza	West Caicos	ma+ko+bi+sa	Mid Unsettled Outlier
Mayaguana	Mayaguana	ma+ya+wa+na	Lesser Midwestern Land
Amaguayo	Plana Cays	a+ma+wa+yo	Toward the Middle Lands
Yabaque	Acklins Island	ya+ba+ke	Large Western Land
Samana	Samana	sa+ma+na	Small Middle Forest
Yuma	Long Island	yu+ma	Higher Middle
Manigua	Rum Cay	ma+ni+wa	Mid Waters Land
Guanahaní	San Salvador	wa+na+ha+hi	Small Upper Waters Land
Guateo	Little San Salvador	wa+te+yo	Toward the Distant Land
Guanima	Cat Island	wa+ni+ma	Middle Waters Land
Ayrabo	Great Guana Cay	ay+ra+bo	Far Distant Home
Nema	New Providence	ne+ma	Middle Waters
Ciguateo	Eleuthera	siba+te+wo	Distant Rocky Place
Lucayoneque	Great Abaco	luka+ya+ne+ke	The People's Distant Waters Land
Bahama	Grand Bahama	ba+ha+ma	Large Upper Middle [Land]
Habacoa	Andros	ha+ba+ko+wa	Large Upper Outlier Land
Canimisi	Williams Island	ka+ni+misi	Northern Waters Swamp
Bimini	Bimini	bimini	The Twins

See also

• Geography portal
• Islands portal
• West Indies portal

• List of Caribbean islands
• West Indies