The two island groups are in the North Atlantic Ocean about north of
Hispaniola and about from Miami in the United States, at . 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 from the Turks and Caicos Islands is the Bahamian island of
Little Inagua, about 30 miles (48 km) from
West Caicos. The eight main islands and more than
22 smaller islands have a total land area of , consisting primarily of low, flat
limestone with extensive
marshes and
mangrove swamps and of beach front. The tallest peaks in the islands are
Blue Hills on
Providenciales and
Flamingo Hill on
East Caicos, both at a modest 48 m.) and relatively dry, but suffers frequent hurricanes.
Bahamian pineyards, and
Bahamian-Antillean mangroves. The two distinct island groups are separated by the Turks Island Passage. The islands form a chain that stretches north–south. The 2012
census population was 4,939 on the two main islands, the only inhabited islands of the group: •
Grand Turk (with the capital of the territory, area , population 4,831) •
Salt Cay (area , The main uninhabited islands are: •
Big Sand Cay •
Cotton Cay •
East Cay •
Endymion Rock •
Gibbs Cay •
Pear Cay Mouchoir Bank east of the Turks Islands and separated from them by Mouchoir Passage is the
Mouchoir Bank. Although it has no emergent cays or islets, some parts are very shallow and the water breaks on them. Mouchoir Bank is part of the Turks and Caicos Islands and falls within its
Exclusive Economic Zone. It measures in area. Two banks further east,
Silver Bank and
Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation, but belong politically to the Dominican Republic.
Caicos Islands The largest island in the Caicos archipelago is the sparsely inhabited Middle Caicos, which measures in area, but had a population of only 168 at the 2012 Census. The most populated island is
Providenciales, with 23,769 inhabitants in 2012, and an area of .
North Caicos ( in area) had 1,312 inhabitants.
South Caicos ( in area) had 1,139 inhabitants, and
Parrot Cay ( in area) had 131 inhabitants.
East Caicos (which is administered as part of South Caicos District) is uninhabited, while the only permanent inhabitants of
West Caicos (administered as part of Providenciales District) are resort staff. The Caicos Islands comprise the following main islands: • •
Big Ambergris Cay •
Little Ambergris Cay •
Bay Cay • •
Dellis Cay • •
Dove Cay •
East Bay Cay •
East Caicos • • •
Five Little Cays • • • • • •
Middle Caicos • •
North Caicos •
Parrot Cay •
Pine Cay • •
Providenciales • • •
South Caicos • • •
West Caicos •
West Sand Spit Climate The Turks and Caicos Islands feature a
tropical savannah climate (
AW), with relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year.
Biodiversity and a
squirrelfish in Princess Alexandra Land and Sea National Park, Providenciales breaching off
South Caicos The Turks and Caicos Islands are a
biodiversity hotspot. The islands have many
endemic species and others of international importance, due to the conditions created by the oldest established salt-pan development in the Caribbean. The variety of species includes a number of endemic species of lizards, snakes, insects and plants, and
marine organisms; in addition to being an important breeding area for seabirds. The UK and Turks and Caicos Islands Governments have joint responsibility for the conservation and preservation to meet obligations under international environmental conventions. Due to this significance, the islands are on the United Kingdom's tentative list for future
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. ==Politics==