Turks and Caicos Islands are made up of more than 30 low-lying islands in the Caribbean Sea, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of the Dominican Republic. The two island groups form an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the Commonwealth of Nations. The main islands are Grand Turk and Salt Cay in the Turks Islands, and South Caicos, East Caicos, Grand or Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, and West Caicos in the Caicos Islands.
The islands cover a total land area of 366 square miles (948 square kilometers). Many of the islands’ 46,000 residents make their living by fishing and tourism. Lobsters are one of the chief exports. The capital and largest town is Grand Turk, also called Cockburn Town, on the island of Grand Turk. Europeans discovered the Turks and Caicos Islands in the early 1500’s. Settlers from Bermuda arrived in the late 1600’s to obtain salt.
