NASSAU

county, southeastern New York state, U.S., on central Long Island just east of the borough (and county) of Queens, New York City. It consists of a coastal lowland region bordered to the north by Long Island Sound and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Embayments along the north shore include Manhasset and Oyster bays, while a string of barrier islands on the Atlantic coast enclose such bodies of water as East and South Oyster bays. Parklands include Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Bethpage, Hempstead Lake, and Jones Beach state parks. Delaware Indians occupied the area when Dutch and English settlers arrived in the first half of the 17th century. By the Treaty of Hartford (1650), the territory west of a line drawn from Oyster Bay southward to the Atlantic was given to the Dutch, only to become part of the English province of New York in 1664. The area was occupied by the British during the U.S. War of Independence and was again subject to British harassment during the War of 1812. The region grew rapidly with the coming of the railroad in the 1840s, as numerous (often fashionable) suburban residential communities developed. Nassau county was created from Queens county in 1899 and named for the family of William III of England. Mineola is the county seat. The county is divided administratively into three towns, or townships (Hempstead, North Hempstead, and Oyster Bay). Notable communities include the city of Long Beach, the villages of Garden City and Great Neck, and the planned community of Levittown. Hofstra University (founded 1935) in Hempstead, the State University of New York College at Old Westbury (1965), and the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point (1938; dedicated 1943) are the major institutions of higher education. Landmarks include Sagamore Hill, the former home of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and now a national historic site. The economy is based on wholesale and retail trade and services (notably finance and health services). Area 287 square miles (743 square km). Pop. (1990) 1,287,444; (1996 est.) 1,303,389. capital of The Bahamas, a port on the northeastern coast of New Providence Island and one of the world's chief pleasure resorts. It took its present name in the 1690s from the family name of King William III of England, but it was not laid out until 1729. The climate is temperate and the sandy beaches and scenery are beautiful. Although the city proper is comparatively small, residential districts stretch far along the coast. Notable buildings include three old forts; Government House (1801), a pink-and-white mansion overlooking the city; the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral (1837); and administrative offices in the city centre. Offshore, at the eastern end of the harbour, are marine gardens, with glass-bottomed boats available for underwater sight-seeing. Nassau's spectacular natural vegetation includes scarlet poinciana trees, poinsettias, and purple bougainvillea; and the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo west of the city contain flamingos and many rare tropical plants. Paradise Island, a luxury tourist resort with high-rise hotels and casinos, was developed in the 1950s and is connected with Nassau to the south by a toll bridge. It shelters Nassau's excellent natural harbour, which can accommodate cruise ships of all sizes. Nassau is an international banking centre, but it has no important industries; citrus fruits, tomatoes, and pineapples are exported. The College of the Bahamas was established there in 1974. Nassau is reached by international sea or air routes and has local service to other islands. Pop. (1990) of New Providence Island, 172,196. historical region of Germany, and the noble family that provided its hereditary rulers for many centuries. The present-day royal heads of The Netherlands and Luxembourg are descended from this family, called the house of Nassau. The region of Nassau is located in what is now the western part of the Land (state) of Hesse and the Westerwald Kreis (district) of Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. The Lahn River divides Nassau roughly into two halves: in the south are the Taunus Mountains; in the north lies the Westerwald. By the 12th century the local counts of Laurenburg had established themselves near the town of Nassau, and Walram (d. 1198) was the first of them to assume the title count of Nassau. His grandsons divided the inheritance: Walram II took the southern portion of Nassau, and Otto I took the northern portion.