San Salvador Island

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Geography & Travel

San Salvador Island

island, The Bahamas

Also known as: Guanahaní, Watlings Island

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Category: Geography & Travel

Also called:: Watlings Island

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San Salvador Island, one of the islands of The Bahamas, in the West Indies.

San Salvador is believed by many scholars to be the island of Guanahani, where Christopher Columbus made his first landing in the New World on October 12, 1492. Some scholars assert, however, that the island of Guanahani is actually Samana Cay, 65 miles (105 km) southeast of San Salvador. San Salvador is about 13 miles (21 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide. Its alternate name, Watlings Island, comes from the name of a famous buccaneer. Area 63 square miles (163 square km). Pop. (2000) 970; (2010) 940.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.