Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial center of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 (2010), 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas (353,658). Lynden Pindling International Airport, the major airport for The Bahamas, is located about 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) west of Nassau city center, and has daily flights to major cities in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

The city is located on the island of New Providence, which functions much like a business district. Nassau houses the House of Assembly and various judicial departments. Nassau is considered a historical stronghold of pirates. Nassau's modern growth began just over 200 years ago with the influx of thousands of American Loyalists and enslaved Africans to The Bahamas following the American War of Independence.