Turks and Caicos Capital

Map showing the location of Turks and Caicos Islands

Cockburn Town is the current capital city of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). It is situated on the west coast of Grand Turks Island. It is also known as Grand Turks and was founded in 1681 by the Bermudians. The city of Cockburn got the title of capital in 1776. Before it was elevated to the status of a capital city, Cockburn Town was best known for its salt industries which came to an end in 1974.

As per the census of 2012, Cockburn Town has a population of approximately 4,831 people living in the city. Cockburn Town is the second most populous town in the islands after Providenciales on Caicos Island. The current population figures have increased by 21.5% compared to the census done in 2001. Cockburn Town is famous for its narrow, long street and old street lamps.

The major tourist attraction sites in Cockburn Town include the national museum, spectacular white sand beaches, island tours, whale watching, and fishing. The Grand Turk Cruise Center offers a large Margaritaville, duty-free shops and a lagoon-like pool. It is also the starting point for shore activities and island tours. The white sands of the Governors’ beach are great for walks, exploration and enjoying an evening while watching the sunset. The Turks and Caicos museum on Front Street is a great place to visit and get acquainted with the history about the Islands. It also has great exhibits of shipwrecks and history of the Lucayans.

Grand Turk experiences a tropical climate, and is hot all year round. The months of May to October are the hottest while a cool season exists from December to March. The average temperatures in the city are 23.5 degree Celsius during winter and 28 degree Celsius during the summer. Rains start from September to December with the latter month receiving relatively high rainfall, and occasionally, hurricanes hit the islands in August and October.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Cockburn Town
Languages	English (official)
Ethnic Groups	Black 87.6%, white 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006)
Religion	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 Witnesses 1.8%, other 14%
Government	Parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Independance	None (overseas territory of the UK)
Area	948.00 km²
Land Area	948.00 km²
Population	51,430.00 Eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk
Location	two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
GDP(PPP)	$632,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$29,100.00 (USD)
Export Commodities	Its main exports are lobster, dried and fresh conch, and conch shells.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include food and beverages, tobacco, and clothing.
Climate	Tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Terrain	Low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Learn More	Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Capital

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