24 Facts About Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies.

The Turks Caicos Islands are named after the Turk's cap cactus, Melocactus intortus, whose red cephalium resembles the fez hat worn by Turkish men in the late Ottoman Empire.

Around 1200, the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Tainos from Hispaniola.

In 1917, Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden suggested that the Turks and Caicos join Canada, but this suggestion was rejected by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the islands remained a dependency of Jamaica.

In 1974, Canadian New Democratic Party MP Max Saltsman tried to use his private member's bill C-249, "An Act Respecting a Proposed Association Between Canada and the Caribbean Turks and Caicos Islands" that proposed that Canada form an association with the Turks and Caicos Islands; however, it was never submitted to a vote.

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Caicos Islands was replaced by Washington Misick after the Progressive National Party won the 2021 general elections.

The nearest foreign landmass from the Turks and Caicos Islands is the Bahamian island of Little Inagua, about 30 miles from West Caicos.

Turks and Caicos Islands contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Bahamian dry forests, Bahamian pineyards, and Bahamian-Antillean mangroves.

Largest island in the Caicos Islands archipelago is the sparsely-inhabited Middle Caicos Islands, which measures 144 square kilometres in area, but has a population of only 168 at the 2012 Census.

East Caicos Islands is uninhabited, while the only permanent inhabitants of West Caicos Islands are resort staff.

UK and Turks and Caicos Islands Governments have joint responsibility for the conservation and preservation to meet obligations under international environmental conventions.

Turks and Caicos Islands participate in the Caribbean Development Bank, is an associate in CARICOM, a member of the Universal Postal Union and maintains an Interpol sub-bureau.

Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into six administrative districts, headed by district commissioners.

In spring 2020, a Security and Assistance Team from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence arrived in Turks and Caicos Islands to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, and to help build the new Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.

Catholics are served by the Mission Sui Iuris for Turks and Caicos Islands, which was erected in 1984 with territory taken from the then Diocese of Nassau.

Turks and Caicos Islands are perhaps best known musically for ripsaw music, a genre which originated on the islands.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are known for their annual Music and Cultural Festival showcasing many local talents and other dynamic performances by many music celebrities from around the Caribbean and United States.

Turks and Caicos Islands cuisine is based primarily around seafood, especially conch.

Turks and Caicos Islands is a British Overseas Territory and not an independent country, its nationality laws are partly determined by British nationality law and its history.

Turks and Caicos Islands worked to refurbish its primary schools, reduce textbook costs, and increase equipment and supplies given to schools.

Turks and Caicos Islands established a National Health Insurance Plan in 2010.

Economy of Turks and Caicos Islands is dominated by tourism, offshore finance and fishing.

Turks and Caicos Islands has one of the longest coral reefs in the world and the world's only conch farm.

Territory is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee, Turks and Caicos Islands Islanders compete for Great Britain at the Olympic Games.