10 Things Before You Travel to Turks and Caicos

The British Overseas Territory of Turks and Caicos has 8 main islands, 300 smaller islands, almost all virtually unpopulated. There may be fewer than 50,000 residents, but it punches above its weight as an offshore financial center and a favored Caribbean island destination for travelers by land or sea.

Most people live on Providenciales (nickname: 'Provo'), in the Caicos Islands. Grand Turk is a popular port of call for cruise ships big and small. It may be a British Overseas Territory, but the US dollar is used locally.

All photos: Brilliant Studios

Here are 10 other things to know about the Turks and Caicos:

1. What's in a Name?

The intriguing name refers to the 'Turk's cap' cactus and the local indigenous term 'caya hico' meaning 'string of islands'. Turks and Caicos is southeast of the Bahamas. It is made up of the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, separated by the Turks Islands Passage.

2. 350 Days of Sunshine a Year

Unlike other islands in the West Indies, Turks and Caicos has few dramatic geographic features. The islands are mostly flat, low, limestone islands with plenty of marshes and mangrove swamps that provided Turks and Caicos with an early, important salt industry.  They are also blessed with almost exclusively sunny weather and 130 square miles (320 square kilometers) of beaches. Water is sourced from collected rainfall or desalination.

3. Canada's 11^th Province?

Bizarre as it seems, there have been attempts for over a century to incorporate Turks and Caicos as a province of Canada. Canadians historically sourced salt from the islands to pack fish, and these days provide many services from tourism to banking. Canadians are the largest per capita group of overseas visitors, and from their point of view, a province in the sun would balance Canada's winters. A majority of the islands' citizens also endorse the plan. But at the moment, the thought remains just a sunny dream.

4. Conch

Turks and Caicos' primary natural resources these days are shellfish. They harvest Caribbean spiny lobster and other crustaceans, but what's really unique is the only conch farm in the world. ** The sea farm was damaged by recent hurricanes so check in advance if it has re-opened. Visitors to the Caicos Conch Farm can see the process of raising what may be the world's most iconic shellfish, a show with trained conchs, and even conch pearls.

Conch Salad is one of the Caribbean's most authentic dishes. Try some at a local restaurant, or, if you are spending time on your own on the islands, buy some fresh conch and get a recipe to make your own.