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Turks and Caicos Islands (British Overseas Territory)

 Flag of Turks & Caicos Islands


Last reviewed: 24 September 2009

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HISTORY

Juan Ponce De Leon first discovered these uninhabited islands in 1512. Locals claim that the islands were the first landfall of Christopher Columbus in 1492. For several centuries the islands changed hands between the French, Spanish and British. They remained virtually uninhabited until 1678 when they were settled by a group of Bermudians who started to extract salt and timber. Loyalists established cotton plantations after the American Revolution. But this was short lived. By 1820 the cotton crop had failed and the majority of planters moved on.

The islands became a formal part of the Bahamas in 1799. In 1848 the islanders petitioned for and were granted separate colonial status with an elected Legislative Board and an administrative President. In 1872 the islands were annexed to and became part of Jamaica and remained tied to them until Jamaica became independent in 1962. In 1959 TCI got its own Administrator , but was still under the authority of the Governor of Jamaica until 1962. In 1965 the Governor of the Bahamas also became the Governor of TCI. When the Bahamas became independent in 1973 TCI got their own Governor.

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