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TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS

The Origin of the Turks and Caicos Name

Many believe that the Turks in Turks and Caicos is derived from the Turks head cacti (melocactus intortus), a small stubby cactus capped with a spiny structure resembling a Turkish Fez hat. However, this is almost certainly not where the name came from. For many centuries previous to the 1800s, Islamic corsairs preyed on vessels in the Mediterranean and off the coasts of Europe and Africa. These raiders were often referred to as 'Turks', and the term went on to become a synonym with pirate. Early mapmakers combined this with a version of the Lucayan word ‘cayo hico’, meaning string of islands. Together, they served as a warning to avoid the pirate islands.

What is the Highest Point in the Turks and Caicos?

There are two contenders for the highest point in the Turks and Caicos: Blue Mountain on Providenciales, and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos. Both sites were determined to be 156 feet (47.5 m) by the United Kingdom Directorate of Overseas Surveys.

Today Blue Mountain likely has the highest point to stand on due to the remains of a small concrete pylon base, however, slight amounts of surface erosion to Blue Mountain probably leaves Flamingo Hill as the highest natural point in the country.

The Original Inhabitants

The first known inhabitants of the Turks and Caicos islands were Tainos (also called “Lucayans”). These original settlers appear to have arrived around the year 750 AD from other islands in the Caribbean. According to the famous 1900s anthropologist Theodore de Booy, East Caicos and Middle Caicos supported the largest populations of Tainos in the entire Bahamas–Turks and Caicos archipelago.

Recent archaeological digs conducted suggest that the Frenchman’s Creek region on Providenciales may have actually been home to the largest Taino settlement in the islands.

Salt Has Been Exported from the Turks and Caicos for Centuries

The Turks and Caicos Islands exported salt before the Europeans arrived. Many locations in the country accumulate natural sea salt. The local Tainos took advantage of this and traded gathered salt for honey, fruit and vegetables with natives from Hispaniola.

  

Many Larger Animals Used to Live on the Islands

When caves in the islands were excavated for bat guano, skeletal remains suggested the existence of large tortoises, giant iguanas and possibly crocodiles. These animals were probably hunted to extinction by the Taino aborigines, but also may have been introduced into the Turks and Caicos by the Tainos.

There Are Dozens of Underwater Caves Systems in the Turks and Caicos

The Turks and Caicos Islands has many underwater cave systems. A few systems such as Cottage Pond on North Caicos and The Boiling Hole on South Caicos are relatively known, but most are largely unrecognized.

The Oldest Excavated European Shipwreck in the Americas Was Found off West Caicos on Molasses Reef

Initially thought to be Christopher Columbus's ship Pinta, this was later proven to be incorrect and the Molasses Reef Wreck (circa about 1513) has not been identified. Artifacts from this wreck can be seen at the National Museum on Grand Turk.

Horatio Nelson’s Defeat

Horatio Nelson, of Trafalgar Square fame, was stationed on Grand Turk, and suffered one of his few defeats attempting to retake the island from the French. On February 13, 1783, the French seized Grand Turk and left a garrison. Possession was returned to Britain under the 1783 Treaty of Versailles.

George Washington’s Favorite Salt

During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington supposedly personally requested salt from the islands due to its high quality. Due to the naval blockades by the British, there was a shortage of salt in the colonies. However, Bermudian sloops carrying salt from the Turks and Caicos ignored the blockades and the high quality salt from the islands sold for around $40 a bushel (as high as $258 per pound in 2014 dollars).

Over the Last 300 Years, the Turks and Caicos Has Been under the Control of the Spanish, French, and British

Although the islands were unpopulated, weren’t especially valued, and considering that there were few natural resources, the ownership of the Turks and Caicos was contested by the European powers at the time.

President of the Turks and Caicos

We once had a presidency (we have a premier today), but had to stop the practice due to excessive cost.

After Orbiting the Earth in 1962, John Glenn’s First Landfall was on Grand Turk

Grand Turk was the first land reached by astronaut John Glenn after the Mercury space mission in 1962.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking