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Long Island is a sixty-mile (nearly 100km) long island in the Bahamas that is split by the Tropic of Cancer. The island is only about four miles (6km) wide, but a road spans most of the length. Long Island is about 150 miles or 240 kilometres southeast of Nassau. Some of the main settlements are Clarence Town, Deadman's Cay, and Scrub Hill. Long Island is one of the Districts of the Bahamas.
Long Island was probably visited by Christopher Columbus. Later it was populated with Loyalists, mainly from New England and New Jersey, fleeing the American Revolution. The descendants of these families continue to be widespread on the island.
Part of the economy is based on tourism, but subsistence farming dominates the economy. The inhabitants grow peas, corn, bananas, and pineapple, and they raise small livestock such as pigs, chickens, goats, and sheep. Some cattle are raised for export. Tourists enjoy sailing, fishing, scuba diving, and relaxing on fine beaches.
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