Turks and Caicos Islands - Tourism and Travel

The Turks and Caicos Islands are located in  the Caribbean Sea, to the north of Haiti.

They are a British overseas territory.

The area of the Turks and Caicos Islands is  367 square miles (948 square kilometers).

Grand Turk Island is where the capital, Cockburn Town, can be found.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are mostly flat limestone.

There is a tropical climate, which is moderated by trade winds.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are prone to hurricanes from June to November.

Coral reefs line the edges of the islands, making them popular with scuba divers.

Migrating humpback whales can be seen around the Turks and Caicos Islands between January and March, in the waters around Grand Turk and Salt Cay islands.

The waters around Grand Cay and Salt Cay islands in the Turks and Caicos Islands are a transit point for migrating humpback whales.

Many species of residential and migratory birds can be found on the marshes and salt ponds on the the Turks and Caicos Islands.

About 45,000 people live on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

88% are black, 8% are white, 1% are East Indian and 3% are mixed race.

English is the official language.

73% of the people are Protestant, 11% are Roman Catholic and 2% are Jehovah's Witnesses.

Tourism, offshore finance and fishing form the bases of the economy.

The United States dollar is the official currency.

The Turks and Caicos Islands were once a part of the British colony of Jamaica. The Turks and Caicos Islands became a crown colony in its own right when Jamaica achieved independence in 1962.

After John Glenn made his historic orbit of the Earth, he splashed down off the Grand Turk Island coast.