Crooked Island

Island in the Bahamas, lying northwest of Acklins Island, in the West Indies; area 238 sq km/92 sq mi; population (1996) 428. Bordered by 72 km/45 mi of barrier reef, Crooked Island lies to the north of the Bight of Acklins, and is separated from Acklins Island to the southeast by a narrow water passage. The main occupations are farming and fishing. The island capital is Colonel Hill.

Cotton plantations were established on the island in the late 18th century, and by the beginning of the 19th century there were 40 cotton plantations, worked by 1,000 slaves. The cotton industry declined because of the poor soil, and economic attention subsequently shifted to the extraction of salt from the sea. Bird Rock Lighthouse, in the north, was built in 1872 and once guarded Crooked Island Passage, which separates Crooked Island from Long Island.