Turks and Caicos are located in the Caribbean Sea. They are considered part of the Greater Antilles group of islands. The Greater Antilles islands are generally located just off the coast of the United States. Turks and Caicos are located to the north of the island of Hispaniola. Hispaniola is home to the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west lies the islands of the Bahamas and the tip of Florida as well as Cuba. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.
Turks and Caicos are considered a part of the British Overseas Territory. British Overseas Territories consist of fourteen territories that are under the nominal rule of Great Britain, but have official sovereignty of their own. The Turks and Caicos in 2009 are governed under the rule of a constitution adopted in 2006.
The Turks and Caicos consist of forty islands. Only ten are inhabited. Providenciales is the largest native population center and a prime destination for tourists from around the world. Grace Bay is the island's largest harbor. Other population centers may be found at Middle Caicos Island and Grand Turk Island. Providenciales is located to the West. Middle Caicos Island faces the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Middle Caicos has only three hundred residents. Other popular islands are West Caicos off the coast of Providenciales and South Caicos Island off the coast of Middle Caicos.
Providenciales is a butterfly-shaped island surrounded by the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. To the south also lies the Chalk Sound National Park. To the north, just below the Atlantic Ocean, lies the Princess Alexandra National Marine Park, a favored spot of divers. Providenciales has an international airport with connections to other countries.
Grand Turk Island is seven miles long and two miles wide. This is the capital and seat of the Turks and Caicos government. The official capital is called Cockburn Town. The island is sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. There is an international airport and several miles of beach. Off the coast is a 7,000-square-foot coral wall that is home to many different varieties of fish. The wall is only three hundred yards from one of Grand Turk's beaches and makes this area a favored destination for divers.
