The Turks and Caicos Islands are full of fascinating information and culture for everyone to enjoy from small children to adults. We hope you enjoy this piece of Turks and Caicos Island history that we have put together for you, from pirates in the Caribbean to the lives of Hollywood celebrities.
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Turks and Caicos Islands
Providenciales is home to the world's only Conch farm (pronounced 'conk'), a large mollusk farmed for its meat and shell. - The Caribbean humpback whale migrates through the Turks Head passage every year from January through April.
- Survivors washed up on shore from an 18th century French ship christened the welcoming island La Providentielle which name changed to Providenciales by the Spanish. Widely known today as Provo.
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Parrot Cay is said to have been the hideout for famed pirate Calico Jack Rackham.
Legend has it that Anne Bonny, female pirate associate of Calico Jack Rackham, resided on Parrot Cay lending the original name Pirate Cay to this Island. - Columbus said to have discovered the Islands in 1492 however it is still argued that Ponce de Leon arrived first.
- Myth has it that Columbus first set foot in the New World on the island of Grand Turk and not San Salvador in the Bahamas.
- The Turks and Caicos Islands are named after the indigenous Turk's Head "fez" cactus, and the Lucayan term "caya hico," meaning string of islands.
- The territory is geographically part of the Bahamas, but is politically a separate entity.
- There is over 230 miles of beach front sporting award winning beaches and the softest white sands you will ever find.
- The Turks and Caicos Islands have 389 kilometers of coast line over its 40 islands
- Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign, represented by a governor in this British Territory, although currency runs in US Dollars.
- Since 1996 more than half the visitors to the Turks and Caicos Islands came from the United States with Canadian tourists not far behind.
- Numerous movies and television shows have been filmed and continue to be filmed on the islands such as "Bahama Passage", "Paradise Virus", "Long Lost Son", "The Island", the first season of "here!" and many other travel shows; House Hunters and Thank God You're Here.
- Hollywood's elite from Bruce Willis, Oprah Winfrey to Donna Karan and Keith Richards own property on the islands. Michael Douglas and Catherine-Zeta Jones are rumored to be purchasing a property on the exclusive island of Dellis Cay. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were married on Parrot Cay.
- You can hear famed rapper Jay-Z rapping about the Turks and Caicos in his song, 'What More Can I Say', from The Black Album.
- While Gene Simmons was visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands in June 2007 on a "big, new business venture" his TV crews decided to follow him down there to finish up filming a one hour episode of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels Special".
- The 4th Annual Turks and Caicos Music and Cultural Festival line-up includes famed acts such as Kenny Rogers, John Legend, Michael Bolton and rapper T.I.
