History & Culture

Named after both the Turk’s cap cactus and the Lucayan term ‘caya hico’ or ‘string of islands,’ the Turks and Caicos have been inhabited for more than 1200 years. Although the islands once belonged to the Tainto Indians, they were also home to some exotic wildlife including crocodiles and iguana which was considered a great culinary delicacy by the indigenous people. Following the decisive defeat of the colonial British, displaced royalists established cotton plantations on a number of islands, including Providenciales, but the persistent insects and the tough growing conditions eventually drove them to seek new pastures. Their slaves are the direct ancestors of the island’s current inhabitants.