Grand Turk is one of the 40 islands that make up the
Turks and Caicos
archipelago. It was originally founded by Bermudian colonists in 1681 as a site for the production of sea salt, and Cockburn Town in Grand Turk has been the official capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands since 1766.Here you will find information that may be useful to ensure that you are an exemplary environmental steward during your visit to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Additionally, you must pass through the immigration process in Providenciales to be able to travel to any other island in the Turks and Caicos group. In 1962, Jamaica gained independence from Great Britain, allowing the Turks and Caicos Islands to become a British Crown colony in its own right, and it remains so today.Soon after the 16th century, Taíno populations disappeared due to disease and slavery, leaving the Turks and Caicos Islands virtually uninhabited for around a century.The islands have a tropical climate, although they are arid compared to many other Caribbean islands. The House of Assembly is located on Grand Turk, the capital island, and there are government offices and departments on all of the islands. Gran Turca was once the country's export base, with around two million bushels of salt shipped annually at its peak.At the entrance to the airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a replica of Friendship 7 is on display in Grand Turk. There is a modern hospital system comprising two state-of-the-art medical centers managed by InterHealth Canada: the Cheshire Hall Medical Center in Providenciales and the Cockburn Town Medical Center in Grand Turk.
The indigenous Turkish cactus called it Turkish island, while the Lucayan term “caya hico” means chain of islands called Caicos. If you have wireless service in the US, you can enable international roaming which will allow you to make and receive calls while you are in the Turks and Caicos Islands.In 1766, the Turks and Caicos Islands became part of the colony of the Bahamas and came under its government. History buffs should also visit the National Museum of the Turks and Caicos Islands located on historic Front Street. Grand Turk is both the historic center of the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as its second most populated island after Providenciales.
