The
Turks and Caicos Islands
have a long and complex history that is intertwined with the Bahamas. In 1799, the islands became part of the Bahamas, but in 1848, they were granted independent colonial status. Since then, the Turks and Caicos Islands have been a British overseas territory, and their nationality laws are determined in part by British nationality law. The Turks group comprises two inhabited islands, Grand Turk and Salt Cay, six uninhabited cays, and numerous rocks surrounded by an approximately triangular reef bank.On July 4, 1959, they were once again a separate colony (Turks and Caicos), and the last commissioner was reappointed as administrator. Until May 31, 1962, they were one of the constituent parts of the West Indies Federation (see Trinidad and Tobago). In 1787, loyalists fleeing the American Revolution established cotton and sisal settlements and plantations in several of the larger Caicos Islands. The Turks and Caicos Islands participate in the Caribbean Development Bank, are partners in CARICOM, members of the Universal Postal Union, and maintain an Interpol sub-office.
The closest foreign landmass to the Turks and Caicos Islands is the Bahamian island of Little Inagua, about 30 miles (48 km) away. For the House of Assembly, the Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into 15 electoral districts (four in the Turks and eleven in the Caicos Islands). The history and culture of the Turks and Caicos Islands have demonstrated true intelligence in the developments they have allowed on the islands. In December 2004, they sought to become a new associate member of the Association of Caribbean States article.
The spatial arrangement of the islands around the Great Bank of Caicos (approximately 3700 km²) resembles an atoll, with six large islands in the west, north and east, and some small reefs and cays in the south. West Caicos Island is especially known as a sanctuary for birds, while Penniston, Gibb and Round Cays are known for their wide variety of butterflies. The Turks and Caicos Islands International School is located in Leeward, Providenciales. As a more interesting fact, their privileged location at the gateway to Atlantic trade routes made Grand Turk an excellent place for pirates such as Francois l'Olonnais to anchor between assaults on Spanish and English ships.
In addition, authorities freed Africans from slave ships that had been wrecked off Grand Turk Island in 1841.They arranged for 168 people to be apprenticed to island owners on Grand Turk Island for a year.
