The Turks and Caicos Islands are a group of eight
large islands and a few dozen smaller ones. Only five of the large
islands and a few of the smaller ones are actually populated, the rest
are only inhabited by wild birds and lizards, plus a few have wild
cattle. If you rent a boat, you can easily travel to your own
uninhabited island!
The islands are lumped into two groups: the Caicos islands, which
include Providenciales, East Caicos, West Caicos, North Caicos, South
Caicos , and Middle Caicos. Of these, East Caicos and West Caicos are
not inhabited.
The Turks Islands only include two: Grand Turk , and little Salt Cay,
both of which are settled. The capital of the Turks and Caicos is
Cockburn Town on Grand Turk, an ancient settlement on Grand Turk.
A Lucayan duho (seat) estimated to be
around 1000 years old. This was carved from a single piece of
wood and is one of 9 that have been discovered. Located at the
Turks & Caicos Museum in Grand Turk. |
Pre-Columbus Settlement
The indigenous inhabitants of the Turks and Caicos were Tainto Indians
(http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/caribarch/nativesofTCI.htm), who settled
several of the Caicos islands . Their largest settlement was on Middle
Caicos. There was also interesting wildlife, including a species of
crocodile, iguana, and a cat-sized rodent (prized eating by the Taintos).
Unfortunately, of the above, only the iguanas were able to survive the
Spaniards. Today, even the iguanas are endangered and only found on the
small uninhabited islands. Seeing large wild iguanas in their natural
habitat is a rare treat that's not to be missed!
Columbus
In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the New World . Although
contemporary thought says that he landed on San Salvador in the Bahamas
, some scholars believe that he actually landed on Grand Turk.
(http://www1.minn.net/~keithp/gturk.htm
Salt Raking & The American Revolution
At any rate, no one paid much attention to the islands until the 1700's.
This is when the low-lying nature of the some of the islands was
utilized to produce salt. For the next few hundred years salt became the
backbone of the economy. Bermudians in particular would arrive each year
during the salt harvesting season. The ships they sailed in were copied
and became the Caicos Sloops which were the only means of transportation
between the scattered islands and the world.
During the American revolution, Turks Island salt was in high demand by
the Americans for preserving meat. Legend says that George Washington
himself specifically requested it from the Continental Congress due to
its high quality.
After the British lost the war, displaced royalists were granted land on
the uninhabited Caicos Islands . Plantations were established on several
islands, including Providenciales, to grow cotton. The islands soil were
unable to support cotton for long, and combined with insects, drove most
royalists away again. Their slaves, however, remained and are the
ancestors of the native inhabitants today.
One of the wild cattle on Grand Turk. |
Failures after the Plantations
It was still the Turks Island salt that kept the Turks and Caicos going.
In the late 19th century, attempts were made to grow sisal for rope
fibres and harvest sponges from the Caicos Bank. These failed too.
Curiously, there was one non-salt related success. A cattle ranch was
established on West Caicos in the 1890s that successfully supplied Grand
Turk with meat for a few years.
The last scheme was put to sleep in the '70's. A large oil company
wanted to build a large oil refinery on West Caicos. Fortunately for the
environment, they only were able to bulldoze an airstrip before the
project was cancelled.
In 1898, the London - Jamaica telegraph was completed, with Grand Turk
in between. This led to the firm entrenchment of the communications
industry by Cable & Wireless. It was only this year, 2006, that the
final remnants of C&W's monopoly were finally untangled.
World Wars
World War I dawned on an impoverished Turks and Caicos, still depending
on the salt raking industry to survive. Nevertheless, the islanders were
able to scrape together enough to pay for an ambulance in WWI, that was
used on the western front.
During WWII, the Turks and Caicos partially funded the Royal Navy
frigate HMS Caicos, which was the only aircraft-detection frigate in use
during the war. HMS Caicos was used in the North Sea to detect German V1
flying bombs aimed at London . The islands also managed to buy a
Spitfire, and weaved mittens and other articles for the soldiers.
The Turks and Caicos also managed to be involved in a German spy
operation. Shortly before the war, a group of American investors
approached the Island 's commissioner with plans to build a resort. The
islanders eagerly wined and dined the investors and showed all the
details of the islands. The investors left, never to be heard of again.
That is, until detailed maps and information were discovered in the
possession of a German spy ring by the FBI. This information led to
several ships being sunk by U-boats near the islands.
The now desolate lighthouse on Grand Turk. |
Post War
After the war, salt was still the only income producer and the islands
were struggling economically. It wasn't even worthwhile to govern the
islands separately and the UK grouped them with first the Bahamas and
then Jamaica . It wasn't until Jamaica became independent in 1962 that
the islands received a dedicated government and governor.
It was also in 1962 that American astronaut John Glenn stepped onto
Grand Turk after the first space flight. Today, a replica of his
spacecraft can be seen outside the Jags McCartney international airport
in Grand Turk.
The Dawn of the Modern Turks and
Caicos
The 60's were also the decade that first put Providenciales onto the
map.
Up until the 60's, Providenciales was inhabited by less than 500 people!
There were no cars and few roads. In 1966, Provident Ltd secured an
agreement with the government granting them thousands of acres of
Providenciales land in exchange for roads and an airstrip. Provident Ltd
then sold lots and built the Turtle Cove marina.
Providenciales remained a low-key destination until 1984 when Club Med
built a new resort on the then-deserted Grace Bay beach. This sparked
the continuing surge of development that has carried Providenciales into
one of the prime vacation destinations worldwide.
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