Nassau is the
capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the
Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 (2010
census), 70 percent of the entire population of the Bahamas (353,658).
Lynden Pindling International Airport, the major airport for the Bahamas, is located about west of Nassau city centre, and has daily flights to major cities in the
United States, the
Caribbean,
Canada, and the
United Kingdom. The city is located on the island of
New Providence, which functions much like a
business district. Nassau is the site of the House of Assembly and various judicial departments and was considered historically to be a stronghold of pirates. The city was named after
Nassau, Germany in honour of
William of Orange-Nassau.