Turks and Caicos

General Information:

Location: Caribbean (West Indies)
Capital: Cockburn Town
Language(s): English
Total Area: 430 sq km
Population: 42,953
Currency: United States Dollar
Curious Alcohol Fact: All sorts of wines and beers are available.
Annual Average Liquor Consumption Per Capita: Not available
Most Popular Drink(s): Rum, wines and beers

Turks and Caicos Travel Video

Video Courtesy: EPICNewsgroup

The Country

Located in the north of Hispaniola and the southeastern corner of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands is a dependency of the British Crown. Just as can be gleaned from the name, the dependency is a set of two archipelagoes. The first one is the Turks Islands and is made up of two islands (named Salt Cay and Grand Turk), six cays (also called keys) and various islets. As you might have guessed, the Caicos Islands are made up of six islands (with the principal one being the Grand Caicos) and various islets. Grand Caicos which contains most of the residents, is also called Middle Caicos and other islands in the Caicos group include South Caicos, East Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, and West Caicos. Caicos Islands are situated to the northwest of the Turks. Of all the islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Grand Caicos is the largest in terms of area. Cockburn Town is the administrative capital and is also the commercial nerve center of the islands.

The People

The people of the islands are predominantly black or with a mixed heritage, and these people form more than four-fifths of the population. If you were born on the islands, you can refer to yourself as a ‘Belonger’. All over the islands, English is widely spoken and as per religion, Christianity is the major faith with the largest denominations being those of the Anglicans, Methodists, Catholics and Baptists. There is also a tiny population of the followers of the other faiths. Many of the islanders are engaged in tourism services, agriculture and boatbuilding.

Eating and Drinking

Being a prime destination for tourists from all parts of the globe, this island nation is truly a culinary paradise. With countless bars, steakhouses, shacks, eateries and restaurants, wining and dining have been turned to arts in Turks and Caicos. These restaurants offer you the finest Caribbean, Asian (Thai and Japanese), Italian, French and other meals that are too numerous to be stated here. International dishes are available at affordable rates and at the Japanese bars; you can try out the legendary sushi! Seafood is more or less the best on these islands of splendor.

Sports

For a group of islands that is as serene as the Turks and Caicos Islands, it is not too surprising to know that aquatic sports are widely enjoyed. Scuba divers from various parts of the globe enjoy the sport in the crystal-clear waters of the islands. If you are also an individual that can be described as a ‘water creature’, you will also like sailing, surfing and fishing.

Interesting Facts

The islands are made of limestone.
The ‘Turks’ in the name is from a type of cactus that looks like the cap of the Turks while the ‘Caicos’ is a modification of the Lucayan words (caya hico) for a group of islands.
The island chain has been claimed by various European powers over time and there were periods when it was governed indirectly through neighboring Jamaica and Bermuda.
The original inhabitants of the islands are the Arawak-speaking Indians.
At a point in the 17th century, the islands of Turks and Caicos were depopulated as a result of the activities of the Spanish colonists.
The Turks Island Passage separates the various islands in the chain.
English is the official language on the islands.
Ripsaw music is very popular in Turks and Caicos.

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Adebayo Ahmed Adebola (Ilorin, Nigeria).