Map of Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands is a country in North America with its capital at Cockburn Town, home to about 46,855 people across 417 km². The interactive map below plots 1 cities and towns, 1 mountain summits and 1 ports recorded for Turks and Caicos Islands in YearMaps.
- Population
- 46,855
- Area
- 417 km²
- Capital
- Cockburn Town
- Continent
- North America
Interactive Map of Turks and Caicos Islands
Centred on Cockburn Town at 21.4664° N, 71.1360° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands ( and ) is a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. They are known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. The resident population in 2023 was estimated by The World Factbook at 59,367, making it the third-largest of the British overseas territories by population. However, according to a Department of Statistics estimate in 2022, the population was 47,720.
The islands are southeast of Mayaguana in the Bahamas island chain and north of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Cockburn Town, the capital since 1766, is situated on Grand Turk about 1,042 kilometres (647 mi) east-southeast of Miami. They have a total land area of 430 square kilometres (170 sq mi).
The islands were inhabited for centuries by Lucayan people (Taíno). The first recorded European sighting of them was in 1512. In subsequent centuries, they were claimed by several European powers, with the British Empire eventually gaining control. For many years they were governed indirectly through Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands received their own governor, and have remained an autonomous territory since.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Turks and Caicos Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Turks and Caicos Islands
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate Crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed, and the islands remain a British overseas territory. Grand Turk Island suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017.
- Location
- Two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti; note - although the Turks and Caicos Islands do not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically they are often designated as being Caribbean.
- Climate
- Tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry.
- Terrain
- Low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps.
- Highest point
- Blue Hill on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos 48 m.
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 389 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Spiny lobster, conch.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 1.1% (2023 est.); arable land: 1.1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.); permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.); forest: 11.1% (2023 est.); other: 87.9% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Frequent hurricanes.
- Geographic note
- Include eight large islands and numerous smaller cays, islets, and reefs; only two of the Caicos Islands and six of the Turks group are inhabited.
- Languages
- English (official)
- Religions
- Protestant 72.8% (Baptist 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Anglican 10%, Methodist 9.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Jehovah's Witness 1.8%, other 14% (2006 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Black 87.6%, White 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006 est.)
- Economy
- British Caribbean island territorial economy; GDP and its tourism industry hit hard by COVID-19 disruptions; major biodiversity locale; US dollar user; fossil fuel dependent; negative trade balance; increasing unemployment.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Turks and Caicos Islands in Numbers
- Population
- 46,855
- GDP
- US$1.7 billion
- GDP per person
- US$37,507
- Life expectancy
- 78.2 years
- Population growth
- 0.69% a year
- Population density
- 49 per km²
- Urban population
- 94.4%
- Surface area
- 948 km²
- Forest cover
- 11.1%
- Arable land
- 1.1%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 0.0%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Turks and Caicos Islands in Depth
History
The first inhabitants of the islands were Arawakan-speaking Indigenous people, who most likely crossed over from Hispaniola some time from AD 500 to 800. Together with Taíno who migrated from Cuba to the southern Bahamas around the same time, these people developed as the Lucayan. According to Julian Granberry and Gary Vescelius, around 1200 CE, the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Taínos from Hispaniola.
It is unknown precisely who the first European to sight the islands was. Some sources state that the explorer Christopher Columbus saw the islands on his voyage to the Americas in 1492. However, other sources state that it is more likely that Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León was the first European in Turks and Caicos, in 1512.
Geography and environment
The two island groups are in the North Atlantic Ocean about 160 kilometres (99 mi) north of Hispaniola and about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from Miami in the United States, at 21.78°N 71.80°W / 21.78; -71.80. The territory is geographically contiguous to the Bahamas, both comprising the Lucayan Archipelago, but is politically a separate entity. The Caicos Islands are separated by the Caicos Passage from the closest Bahamian islands, Mayaguana and Great Inagua. The nearest foreign landmass to the Turks and Caicos Islands is the Bahamian island of Little Inagua, about 30 miles (48 km) from West Caicos.
Economy
The economy of Turks and Caicos is dominated by tourism, offshore finance and fishing. The US dollar is the main currency used on the islands.
Historically, the salt industry, along with small sponge and hemp exports, sustained the Turks and Caicos Islands (only barely, however; there was little population growth and the economy stagnated). The economy grew in the 1960s, when American investors arrived on the islands and funded the construction of an airstrip on Providenciales and built the archipelago's first hotel, "The Third Turtle". A small trickle of tourists began to arrive, supplementing the salt-based economy. Club Med Turkoise opened at Grace Bay in 1984, becoming the first beachfront hotel on the island.
Demographics
Eight of the thirty islands in the territory are inhabited, with a total population estimated from preliminary results of the census of 25 January 2012 (released on 12 August 2012) of 31,458 inhabitants, an increase of 58.2% from the population of 19,886 reported in the 2001 census. July 2021 estimates put the population at 57,196. One-third of the population is under 15 years old, and only 4% are 65 or older. In 2000 the population was growing at a rate of 3.55% per year. The infant mortality rate was 18.66 deaths per 1,000 live births and the life expectancy at birth was 73.28 years (71.15 years for males, 75.51 years for females). The total fertility rate was 3.25 children born per woman.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Turks and Caicos Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Turks and Caicos Islands: Key Facts
| Currency | United States dollar |
|---|---|
| Official language | English |
| Head of state | Charles III |
| Head of government | Washington Misick |
| Calling code | +1649 |
| Internet domain | .tc |
| Highest point | Blue Hills |
| Established | 1973 |
Facts from Wikidata Q18221 (CC0).
Visiting Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are only about 60 km (37 miles) long, and consist of over 40 islands and cays. These islands have fabulous beaches throughout; in particular, Grace Bay. There also are a variety of fun, non-beach things that there are to do. You can scuba dive, snorkel, sail, boat, parasail, fish, go on tours, go to spas and salons, golf, shop, ride ponies and gamble. Each island has its own activities as well.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Turks and Caicos Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Turks and Caicos Islands
1 city recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Turk | 5,801 | — | Admin-0 region capital |
Highest Mountains in Turks and Caicos Islands
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Bottle | 49 m | 161 ft | North America |
Ports in Turks and Caicos Islands
1 port recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cockburn Harbor | 53 m | Very Small | Caribbean Sea | point_of_interest |
Countries Bordering Turks and Caicos Islands
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in North America
Turks and Caicos Islands: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Turks and Caicos Islands?
- The capital of Turks and Caicos Islands is Cockburn Town.
- What is the population of Turks and Caicos Islands?
- Turks and Caicos Islands has a population of about 46,855, the #209 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Turks and Caicos Islands?
- Turks and Caicos Islands covers 417 km², ranking #205 by area, with about 112 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Turks and Caicos Islands in?
- Turks and Caicos Islands is in North America.
- Which countries border Turks and Caicos Islands?
- Turks and Caicos Islands shares a land or maritime border with Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti.
- What is the largest city in Turks and Caicos Islands?
- Grand Turk is the largest city in Turks and Caicos Islands, with a metropolitan population of about 5,801.
- What is the highest mountain in Turks and Caicos Islands?
- The highest summit recorded for Turks and Caicos Islands in YearMaps is Blue Bottle at 49 m (161 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.