Turks and Caicos Islands Trivia Quiz

Answer: United Kingdom

The Turks and Caicos Islands are under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. While they have a degree of internal self-government, ultimate authority rests with the British government, exercised through a governor appointed by the UK's monarch. The islands have their own constitution and local government, headed by a premier and a legislature known as the House of Assembly. The relationship between the UK and the Turks and Caicos Islands involves cooperation in areas such as defense, foreign affairs, and security, while the islands manage their internal affairs independently.

The Turks and Caicos Islands came under British control through a combination of colonization, treaties, and annexation. The islands were initially inhabited by the Taino and Lucayan peoples before the arrival of European explorers. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the islands were visited by several Spanish and French explorers, but it was the British who eventually established control over the territory.

Answer: Atlantic Ocean

The Turks and Caicos Islands are situated in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Bahamas and north of the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Geographically, they are part of the Lucayan Archipelago, which also includes the Bahamas. The islands are positioned in the northern part of the Caribbean region, but they are often considered part of the broader Caribbean despite their location slightly outside the Caribbean Sea.

The territory consists of two main island groups: the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands. Providenciales, or "Provo", is the most populous and developed island, and it serves as a gateway for tourism and commerce due to its international airport. The islands are known for their stunning beaches, turquoise waters, and rich marine life, attracting visitors from around the world.

Answer: Haiti

Measuring from Cockburn Town to the aforementioned countries and other territories, the closest capital to Cockburn Town is Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The distance between them is about 342 kilometers. This is slightly closer than Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is approximately 357 kilometers.

The distance to Nassau, Bahamas is 748 kilometers, however, in terms of proximity, the Bahamas are closer to the Turks and Caicos Islands as their island chain is technically part of the same archipelago. Kingston, Jamaica is slightly closer, at 706 kilometers, whereas Havana, Cuba is farther (1169 kilometers) even though the closest point on the island of Cuba is closer.

Answer: Providenciales

The Turks and Caicos Islands consist of a total of 40 islands and cays, but not all of them are inhabited. The exact number of permanently-inhabited islands and cays may vary, but the majority of the population resides on a few key islands. In fact, on Providenciales live more than half of the permanent population and, on some of the other islands, the permanent residents are just the permanent staff on the resorts.

The most populated islands are Providenciales, Grand Turk, North Caicos, and South Caicos. These are the main islands with significant infrastructure, settlements, and amenities. Many of the smaller islands and cays remain uninhabited or have only small communities, with some used for tourism, conservation, maintenance, or other purposes.

Answer: Blue Hills

The highest point in the Turks and Caicos Islands is Blue Hills on the island of Providenciales. Blue Hills reaches an elevation of approximately 49 meters (161 feet) above sea level. While this elevation might not seem significant compared to mountainous regions elsewhere, it offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including the island's beautiful beaches and turquoise waters.

The location is one of the three original settlements on the islands. The name comes from the French explorers who called the entire island "Blue Caicos". One of the original purposes of the settlement was the salvaging of shipwrecks, which happened all too often on the reefs that surround the island. Shipping was key to the Caribbean existence and the islands served as a hub on the way to Europe. Over time, a robust ship-building industry for handmade small boats developed at Blue Hills as well.

Blue Hills can be a popular spot for visitors and locals alike to enjoy sunset views and take in the island's natural beauty.

Answer: Salt production

The area around Cockburn Town was first settled by the Taino and Lucayan peoples, indigenous inhabitants of the Caribbean region, who lived there for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. The first to arrive were the Spanish and the French as early as the late 15th century. While the islands were claimed for Spain, they saw little value in maintaining a permanent settlement there.

It was in the 17th century that Bermudian salt rakers began to settle on Grand Turk and other islands in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. They established salt ponds and worked in the lucrative salt industry, exporting salt to Europe and North America. It was then that Cockburn Town was formally established. Originally called Grand Turk like the island that it is on, the village was renamed in honour of Sir Francis Cockburn, the British colonial administrator.

Answer: United States Dollar

The currency used in the Turks and Caicos Islands is the United States Dollar (USD). It was officially adopted as the currency in 1959 replacing the British West Indies dollar. This decision was made as part of an agreement between the British government, which oversees the territory, and the United States.

Tourism is the primary driver of the economy in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the majority of visitors come from the United States. Adopting the US Dollar makes transactions and financial dealings easier for tourists and less of a hassle for the locals. Additionally, businesses in the Turks and Caicos Islands have trade relationships with the United States; using the US Dollar simplifies international transactions and trade.

Answer: JAGS McCartney

Howard Hamilton International Airport (formerly known as Providenciales International Airport) is the largest and most trafficked airport on the Turks and Caicos Islands. It serves international traffic which is mostly tourists, as well as internal flights between the different islands.

The second-busiest airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands is JAGS McCartney International Airport on the island of Grand Turk. It lies just outside of the capital of the islands, Cockburn Town. While it can handle international flights, it mostly handles domestic traffic. It is named for James Alexander George Smith (JAGS) McCartney, the first Chief Minister of the islands. Ironically, he died in a plane crash in 1980 in New Jersey.

The islands have two local carriers - interCaribbean Airways and Caicos Express Airways - both of them with their main hub at Providenciales.

In the picture is a replica of John Glenn's capsule "Friendship 7" from his space flight. It landed not far from Grand Turk and he was taken aboard the destroyer USS Noa. His first steps back on land were on Grand Turk before returning to the United States to debrief.

Answer: Queen conch

The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is a large marine mollusk found in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, including the Turks and Caicos Islands. It has a large, spiral-shaped shell with prominent spines and a pink-orange or orange-brown coloration. The shell can reach lengths of up to 30 centimeters making it one of the largest of the Caribbean conchs.

The term "queen conch" likely originates from the species' large size, impressive appearance, and prominent presence in Caribbean marine environments. Living in shallow waters, the queen conch became a target for free divers to pull out. Conch meat is a popular ingredient in Caribbean cuisine, and it is prepared in various dishes such as conch salad, conch fritters, and conch chowder. Conch shells are also used for decorative purposes and traditional crafts.

Due to overfishing and habitat degradation, queen conch populations in some areas have declined leading to concerns about their conservation status. In response, the government of the Islands have put into place conservation measures such as fishing regulations, marine protected areas, and sustainable harvesting practices. These have been implemented to help protect queen conch populations and ensure their long-term survival.

Answer: No

The largest permanently uninhabited island in the Turks and Caicos Islands is East Caicos. East Caicos is the fourth-largest island in terms of land area, but currently lacks a permanent population. The island is located to the east of the main inhabited islands making it a remote location for infrastructure and a challenging place to deliver goods. Additionally, the terrain of the island is rough with dense vegetation making it difficult to settle above the water line.

However, in the past, the island was home to several settlements. Petroglyphs have been found in caves all over the island showing that the island was once inhabited by the Lucayan and Taino indigenous peoples who had a presence all over the archipelago. Additionally, in the time that the Turks and Caicos Islands were known for their salt production, a settlement dedicated to salt harvest had thrived. The decline of the salt industry led to the village getting abandoned.