Cigateo is a constituent republic of Lucaya Region.
| Cigateo Republic | |
|---|---|
| Island of Eleuthera | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
 |
|
| Part of the Lucaya Region | |
| The pink sand beaches of the east coast, unusually coloured by crushed pink coral, draw visitors from across Lucaya Region. | |
| Population | 22,935 |
| Demographics |
55% Afro-Bahamian 30% Lucayan Loyalists 15% Caribbean mixed
|
| Economy | Fisheries & shipping Arable farming, Metals, machinery & defence |
| Produces | Pineapple, Tomatoes, Root Vegetables, Fish, Shellfish |
| Working week | 18.7 hours |
| Specialisation | Agriculture, Land & Sea |
| Accession | 1935, as part of the Alford Agreement |
| Area | 457.4 km² |
| Capital | Governor's Harbour |
| Languages | English, Lucayan |
The Cigateo Republic (Eleuthera) is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the central Lucayan archipelago. It lies east of Curateo and north of Guanima, and its northern tip points across the Northeast Providence Channel towards Lucayoneque. It is a strip of pale limestone nearly 180km from north to south, and in places barely two kilometres across. The capital, Governor’s Harbour, is situated at the island’s widest point on the western shore.
The island is situated by the deep blue-black of the open Atlantic in the east, and the shallow turquoise of the Exuma Sound on the west. At the Commonwealth Millenium Bridge, in the narrow northern waist, it is no more than thirty metres wide, and from the road the two seas can be watched meeting on either side. The meeting of these oceans is a draw for tourists and forms part of the basis of indigenous Lucayan animism. The pink sand beaches of the east coast, unusually coloured by crushed pink coral mixed into the limestone, draw visitors from across Lucaya Region. English Puritans from Summers settled the island in 1648 and named it from the Greek word for freedom, and the plantation economy they established thereafter was worked by African slaves. Most Cigateanos are descended from them.
By Vekllei standards, life on Cigateo remains remarkably agrarian, and agricultural products make up much of its economy. The pineapples grown in the island’s red soil are descended from the plantations of that era, and are now raised on municipal farms and exported across the Commonwealth. Tomatoes, root vegetables and dairy are grown for the rest of the region. Many Cigateanos keep a smallholding alongside other work.
The island is home to Cigateo Technical University, which teaches agricultural engineering and is the foremost school of television production in Lucaya. Its studios at Governor’s Harbour make much of the region’s television. The Governor’s Harbour Railway runs the length of the island from north to south, and ferries leave the capital for Nassau and the neighbouring republics. The republic has developed considerably under federalisation, and schools, a hospital and a new administrative building have been completed in the past decade.
- Electronic Components
- Fruit
- Glass
- Wheat
- Molasses
- Paper
- Salt
- Sugar
- Vegetables
Climate
Warm tropical with a wet season from June to October, including hurricane risk in August and September. The east coast is more exposed to Atlantic weather than the sheltered west.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 25° 19° 25° 19° 26° 20° 27° 22° 29° 24° 30° 26° 31° 27° 31° 27° 31° 26° 29° 24° 27° 22° 26° 20°
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 25° 19° 25° 19° 26° 20° 27° 22° 29° 24° 30° 26° Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 31° 27° 31° 27° 31° 26° 29° 24° 27° 22° 26° 20°
Public Holidays
- New Year’s Day 1 Jan
- Republic Day 3 Mar
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Whit Monday
- Commonwealth Day 1 May
- Emancipation Day 1st Mon/Aug
- Discovery Day 12 Oct
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Boxing Day 26 Dec
- Glass Window Bridge: The narrow isthmus where the island contracts to thirty metres, with the Atlantic on one side and the calm Caribbean on the other.
- Harbour Island Pink Beach: Famous stretch of pink sand beach on the small island of Harbour Island just off the capital, accessible by boat.
- Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve: Protected botanical garden focused on endemic Bahamian plant species, one of the largest in the Lucayan archipelago.
- The Surfer’s Beach: Exposed Atlantic beach on the east coast, the only surfing destination of significance in [[lucaya|Lucaya Region]].
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 12.4%
- Education 10.7%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 10.2%
- Healthcare 9.1%
All 19 groups
Hide table
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 12.4%
- Education 10.7%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 10.2%
- Healthcare 9.1%
| Occupation | Share | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Land & Sea | 12.4% | 3,470 |
| Education | 10.7% | 3,010 |
| Skilled Trades & Construction | 10.2% | 2,880 |
| Healthcare | 9.1% | 2,560 |
| Domestic | 8.7% | 2,430 |
| Industry | 6.6% | 1,860 |
| Arts & Media | 5.7% | 1,590 |
| Government & Civil Administration | 5.4% | 1,500 |
| Transport | 5.0% | 1,410 |
| Retail, Distribution & Logistics | 4.3% | 1,220 |
| Security & Defence | 3.8% | 1,070 |
| Sport & Recreation | 3.2% | 910 |
| Economic Planning | 3.0% | 850 |
| Hospitality & Participatory Trades | 3.0% | 830 |
| Law & Justice | 2.1% | 600 |
| Information & Communications | 2.0% | 570 |
| Science & Research | 2.0% | 570 |
| Energy & Resources | 1.5% | 430 |
| Religious & Ceremonial | 1.1% | 310 |
Register estimates of posts located in the republic, rounded; figures under 50 suppressed. Includes 70 posts held by non-residents.
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1648
English Puritans from Bermuda settle Cigateo, naming it from the Greek word for freedom