The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory comprised of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two sets of tropical islands in the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies' Lucayan Archipelago. They are most renowned for tourism and as an offshore financial center. In 2012, the resident population was 31,458, with 23,769 living on Providenciales in the Caicos Islands; predictions for July 2021 placed the population at 57,196. By population, it is the third biggest of the British overseas territories.
The islands are located in the Bahamas island chain, southeast of Mayaguana, and north of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Grand Turk (Cockburn Town), the island's capital since 1766, is located around 1,042 kilometers (647 miles) east-southeast of Miami, Florida. They cover a total area of 430 square kilometers (170 sq mi).
Indigenous peoples have lived on the islands for ages. They were first seen by Europeans in 1512. Several European nations claimed them in later centuries, with the British Empire finally acquiring possession. They were administered indirectly for many years via Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. When the Bahamas obtained independence in 1973, they were given their own governor and have been a self-governing territory ever since.
