Yuma is a constituent republic of Lucaya Region.
| Yuma Republic | |
|---|---|
| Island of Long Island | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
 |
|
| Part of the Lucaya Region | |
| Yuma has the largest population of Taino speakers in the Commonwealth. | |
| Population | 17,644 |
| Demographics |
45% Lucayan Taino 35% Afro-Bahamian 20% Caribbean mixed
|
| Economy | Fisheries & shipping Arable farming, Textiles & crafts |
| Produces | Fish, Lobster, Shellfish, Citrus, Root Vegetables |
| Working week | 18.9 hours |
| Specialisation | Agriculture, Land & Sea |
| Accession | 2025, as part of the Lucayan Federation |
| Area | 596 km² |
| Capital | Clarence |
| Languages | English, Bahamian Creole, Lucayan Taino |
The Republic of Yuma is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the northern Caribbean Sea, just south of Curateo. It is a long, thin island of nearly 130km, and rarely more than 6km across. Just under 18,000 people live there in small settlements along the two coasts. It is famous for its books.
Settled by Lucayan Taino long before European contact, Yuma’s history and culture is heavily influenced by them, and their descendants make up a large share of the 18,000 people on the island. Like the rest of Vekllei, its government and business are conducted in English, but many Yuman households speak Lucayan Taino at home, and most speak a Bahamian Creole influenced by the neighbouring islands. As such, Yuma has the largest population of Taino speakers in the Commonwealth. The island’s name is their word for cassava.
Yuma was passed over by the Spanish, who took salt off its coast in the 16th Century but never settled the interior. It was during the 1780s that loyalist planters arrived with cotton and slaves from the American colonies, a venture that collapsed within two generations when the thin soils failed. It belonged to the Bahamas colony, through several arrangements, until the British Atlantic Territories won independence, and joined Vekllei in 2025 with the rest of the Lucayan Federation. Its economy is mostly agricultural even now, but Clarence has presses and binderies, and they print a good part of what is read in Lucaya. The Yuma Arts Academy there is the foremost school of Creole literature and painting in the region, and draws many Curateans across to study.
The southern third of the island is nearly empty, and there is no settlement at all for twenty kilometres below Deadman’s Cay. It has the darkest sky in Lucaya, and the Republic Assembly has kept it that way. Clarence Observatory is at the southern point, and astronomers come from across the Commonwealth, most recently for the occultation of 2061. The island also has workshops making optical and scientific instruments.
Most Yumans live in the capital of Clarence, but there are villages that line the entire coast. They are connected by a single railway which stops at fourteen settlements over 120km, so that the journey from Seymours in the north takes nearly three hours. Yuma is connected to the rest of Lucaya by ferries from either end of the island.
Public Holidays
- New Year’s Day 1 Jan
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Whit Monday
- Commonwealth Day 1 May
- Labour Day (First Friday in June)
- Emancipation Day 1 Aug
- Republic Day 10 Jul
- Cohoba Festival 15 Sept
- Discovery Day 12 Oct
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Boxing Day 26 Dec
- Adhesives
- Electronic Components
- Fruit
- Glass
- Paper
- Plastics
- Printing Ink
- Pulp
- Rare Earths
- Salt
- Sugar
- Timber
- Vegetables
- Vinegar
Climate
Warm year-round, milder than the outer Caribbean, with little seasonal swing.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 26° 23° 26° 23° 26° 23° 27° 24° 28° 25° 29° 26° 30° 27° 30° 27° 30° 27° 29° 26° 28° 25° 27° 24°
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 26° 23° 26° 23° 26° 23° 27° 24° 28° 25° 29° 26° Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 30° 27° 30° 27° 30° 27° 29° 26° 28° 25° 27° 24°
- Great Blue Hole: One of the world’s deepest marine caves at 202 metres, site of the Commonwealth Cave Research Station and traditional Taino ceremonial grounds.
- Twin Churches of Clarence: Adjacent Catholic and Anglican churches built by the same architect, visible landmarks of the capital’s colonial heritage.
- Conception Island Turtle Preserve: Uninhabited island off Yuma’s northeastern coast, protected breeding ground for hawksbill and green sea turtles.
- Lucayan Heritage Centre: Museum and research facility in Deadman’s Cay preserving Taino artefacts and documenting continuous indigenous settlement.
- Stella Maris Cave Complex: Extensive cavern system featuring Taino petroglyphs and underground pools, managed as cultural heritage site.
- Long Island Railway Museum: Collection of rolling stock and historical equipment documenting the island’s distinctive rail infrastructure.
- Clarence Observatory: Astronomical research station taking advantage of the island’s minimal light pollution and clear Atlantic skies.
- Education 11.8%
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 11.3%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 10.5%
- Healthcare 9.6%
All 19 groups
Hide table
- Education 11.8%
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 11.3%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 10.5%
- Healthcare 9.6%
| Occupation | Share | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 11.8% | 2,500 |
| Agriculture, Land & Sea | 11.3% | 2,400 |
| Skilled Trades & Construction | 10.5% | 2,230 |
| Healthcare | 9.6% | 2,040 |
| Domestic | 9.4% | 2,000 |
| Industry | 6.8% | 1,430 |
| Government & Civil Administration | 5.6% | 1,190 |
| Transport | 5.0% | 1,070 |
| Security & Defence | 4.4% | 930 |
| Arts & Media | 4.4% | 920 |
| Retail, Distribution & Logistics | 3.5% | 750 |
| Hospitality & Participatory Trades | 3.0% | 640 |
| Economic Planning | 3.0% | 630 |
| Sport & Recreation | 2.7% | 580 |
| Law & Justice | 2.2% | 470 |
| Information & Communications | 2.1% | 440 |
| Science & Research | 2.0% | 420 |
| Energy & Resources | 1.5% | 330 |
| Religious & Ceremonial | 1.0% | 220 |
Register estimates of posts located in the republic, rounded; figures under 50 suppressed. Includes 50 posts held by non-residents.