island, The Bahamas (Bahamas, The), lying just west of Great Abaco Island in the Atlantic Ocean and 60 miles (100 km) east of West Palm Beach, Fla., U.S. The island's economy is based on tourism (which experienced a dramatic boom in the 1960s), forest products (especially pine), and fishing. Important resort centres are Freeport, West End, Eight Mile Rock, and Pinders Point. Freeport is a busy industrial and trade centre with cement plants and an oil refinery. Grand Bahama has one of the largest single-installation bunkering terminals in the Western Hemisphere and a large container transshipment port, making Freeport a major hub for shipping lines. Area 530 square miles (1,373 square km). Pop. (2000) 46,994.