Yabaque is a constituent republic of Lucaya Region.
| Yabaque Republic | |
|---|---|
| Acklins and Crooked Islands | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
 |
|
| Part of the Lucaya Region | |
| The republic is known for its lobster and shellfish, and fishing is still a common occupation there. | |
| Population | 14,686 |
| Demographics |
45% Lucayan Loyalists 40% Afro-Bahamian 15% Caribbean mixed
|
| Economy | Fisheries & shipping Textiles & crafts, Livestock & dairy |
| Produces | Fish, Lobster, Shellfish, Salt, Root Vegetables |
| Working week | 18.9 hours |
| Specialisation | Transport |
| Accession | 1935, as part of the Alford Agreement |
| Area | 537 km² |
| Capital | Spring Point |
| Languages | English, Bahamian Creole |
The Yabaque Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei at the southeastern end of the Lucayan archipelago. It comprises Acklins Island, Crooked Island and the smaller Samana and Plana Cays. The two main islands enclose the Bight of Acklins, a broad and shallow lagoon. Like much of the Lucaya Region, its islands are low and flat, formed by limestone and fringed by white beaches. There are several inland salinas left over from its salt trade, which died out long ago.
Most of its early settlers were loyalists who fled there after the American Revolution. They tried to grow cotton on the poor soils, but most of the estates had failed within a generation or two, and those who stayed became fishermen and subsistence farmers. Through the 19th and early 20th Centuries, the islands steadily lost their young people to Nassau and elsewhere.
Yabaque’s population has grown considerably under federalisation. The island of Acklins is home to the Commonwealth Marine Aviation School, the most prestigious flying-boat school in Vekllei. Its students and instructors make up much of the population of the capital, Spring Point, which has grown up around the school. Flying-boat crews train on the calm water of the Bight, and Yabaquans are overrepresented among the seaplane pilots and navigators of the Vekllei fleet.
The Yabaquan economy is small and maritime, and its major employers are all institutions of Commonwealth government. The ASRE operates a tracking station for spacecraft and satellites on the remote Plana Cays, and the LSRE maintains a sea turtle station on Crooked Island. The republic is known for its lobster and shellfish, and fishing is still a common occupation there. This diet is supplemented by root vegetables, mostly grown in greenhouses around Pinefield.
While Acklins has a small airport and a single rail line along its western coast, Crooked Island is accessible only by ferry. The republic is comparatively isolated from the larger Lucayan islands, and lives there are typically quiet and relaxed, characterised by fishing, boatbuilding and the church. Crooked Island has kept more of its older character, and Colonel Hill still has buildings from the loyalist period.
Climate
Subtropical and dry, with less rainfall than northern Lucayan islands. The exposed position and constant trade winds create challenging conditions for agriculture but ideal weather for maritime training.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 26° 24° 27° 25° 27° 25° 28° 26° 28° 26° 30° 27° 30° 27° 30° 27° 29° 27° 28° 26° 26° 25° 26° 25°
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 26° 24° 27° 25° 27° 25° 28° 26° 28° 26° 30° 27° Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 30° 27° 30° 27° 29° 27° 28° 26° 26° 25° 26° 25°
Public Holidays
- New Year’s Day 1 Jan
- Spring Carnival
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Whit Monday
- Commonwealth Day 1 May
- Republic Day 10 Jul
- Emancipation Day 1 Aug
- Independence Day 10 Oct
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Boxing Day 26 Dec
- Chemicals
- Electronic Components
- Glass
- Herbs
- Plastics
- Rare Earths
- Timber
- Plana Cays Tracking Station ([[ASRE]])
- Colonel Hill, Crooked Island – loyalist-era buildings and boatbuilding apprenticeships
- The Bight of Acklins
- Spring Point Oceanic Medicine Centre
- Castle Island Lighthouse, southern tip of Acklins
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 10.9%
- Education 10.8%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 9.4%
- Transport 9.1%
All 19 groups
Hide table
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 10.9%
- Education 10.8%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 9.4%
- Transport 9.1%
| Occupation | Share | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Land & Sea | 10.9% | 1,920 |
| Education | 10.8% | 1,890 |
| Skilled Trades & Construction | 9.4% | 1,640 |
| Transport | 9.1% | 1,600 |
| Healthcare | 8.4% | 1,470 |
| Domestic | 8.3% | 1,450 |
| Industry | 6.0% | 1,050 |
| Security & Defence | 6.0% | 1,050 |
| Government & Civil Administration | 5.7% | 990 |
| Arts & Media | 4.9% | 850 |
| Retail, Distribution & Logistics | 4.0% | 700 |
| Sport & Recreation | 3.1% | 550 |
| Hospitality & Participatory Trades | 2.8% | 480 |
| Economic Planning | 2.7% | 480 |
| Law & Justice | 2.0% | 350 |
| Science & Research | 1.8% | 320 |
| Information & Communications | 1.8% | 310 |
| Energy & Resources | 1.4% | 250 |
| Religious & Ceremonial | 0.9% | 160 |
Register estimates of posts located in the republic, rounded; figures under 50 suppressed.