History

The Turks & Caicos Islands were first discovered by the Spanish during the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492. The islands were inhabited at the time by a tribe of Arawak Indians who called themselves "Lukka Cava", which means "People of the Islands." Columbus is reported to have stepped ashore on the SE shore of Grand Turk.

It would be hundreds of years before settlers would locate in the Turks & Caicos Islands. A number of countries tried to claim the island group. There were constant conflicts in the region between the Spanish, French, Bahamians and Jamaicans for control of the Turks & Caicos.

A great majority of the present population is believed to descend from a group of nearly 200 Africans who survived the wreck of the "Trouvadore" slave ship in 1841, despite the fact that slavery had been abolished in the region. The ship owners were arrested and the Africans taken into the local population. A few of them went to the Bahamas. Read the story about "The Trouvadore."

Turks & Caicos Timeline

Landmarks

Indian Cave - Middle Caicos

Coralie - Grand Turk

 

Turks & Caicos Map & Flag from The World Factbook Larger Map