The Turks & Caicos Islands consist of 40 islands and cays, eight of which are inhabited. The islands are located 550 miles southeast of Miami, FL, just below the Bahamas chain and just to the east of Cuba. Technically, the Turks & Caicos are located in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea. Turks & Caicos Islanders are mostly descendants of Africans who were brought in to work the salt pans or the cotton plantations.
Providenciales is the most well known of the Turks & Caicos Islands and is the center of the tourism industry with a wide range of hotels, restaurants, attractions and facilities. Grand Turk and Salt Cay offer a glimpse into Caribbean history with great Bermudian architecture. The Turks & Caicos Islands are a British Crown Colony and home to roughly 35,000 full time residents, and they welcome more than 200,000 tourists annually. The official currency is the US Dollar. Cricket is the national sport. The island cuisine is based primarily around seafood, especially conch.
Today, Turks & Caicos boast the fastest growing economy in the Caribbean, coupled with strictly controlled development to protect the islands’ heritage as a pristine sanctuary for both local residents and tourists to enjoy for many generations to come.