The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. The islands are southeast of the Bahamas island chain and north of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Grand Turk (Cockburn Town), the capital since 1766, is situated on Grand Turk Island.

THE TURKS AND CAICOS is home to a very ecologically important barrier reef system. Collectively, there are approximately 547 km of barrier reef surrounding the islands which support high biodiversity while the extensive wetlands of the Caicos Islands serve as important nurseries for many species that are found on the reefs offshore. Many of the tropical Atlantic water species are found on the reef including stoplight parrot fish, Caribbean reef sharks, and numerous of hard and soft coral species.

By total landmass, the Turks and Caicos is one of the world’s smallest countries, yet is home to several remarkable natural features. In addition to the exceptional barrier reef system, the widest blue hole in the world, the Middle Caicos Ocean Hole, and the largest dry cave system in the Lucayan Archipelago, Conch Bar Caves, are both located here. East Caicos, located centrally in the Caicos Islands archipelago, is also one of the largest uninhabited islands in the tropical Atlantic.