Grand Turk

Grand Turk is an island in the country of Turks and Caicos, which is a British Overseas Territory located in the tropical Atlantic Ocean between the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

Grand Turk is the historical center of the Turks and Caicos. It is the second most populated island in the country after the island of Providenciales, and is home to the capital city of Cockburn Town.

Grand Turk is located on the eastern end of the Turks and Caicos archipelago, and—along with the nearby island of Salt Cay—is divided from the other main islands in the country by the deep Columbus Passage. In the last 20 years, Providenciales has largely replaced Grand Turk as the primary site of government and commerce in the nation.

Originally founded by settlers from Bermuda as a site for sea salt production in 1681, Cockburn Town on Grand Turk has been the official capital of the Turks and Caicos since 1766. Many of the country’s main government offices, including the main Supreme Court bench and the Governor’s official residence, can be found here. Despite this, the Governor primarily resides on Providenciales now (where most Ministers live and where Cabinet usually meets), and the Supreme Court has additional benches on Providenciales.

Several important historic events have taken place or are thought to have occurred around this small island. Grand Turk was likely the location of Christopher Columbus’ first landfall in the New World in 1492. In 1962, Grand Turk was the first dry land that American astronaut John Glenn stepped foot on after orbiting Earth.