Turks and Caicos: A Beautiful Country Off Bahamas With Fascinating Culture

Turks and Caicos is not just an island chain off the Bahamas filled with beautiful beaches, but it also has a rich culture with an intricate legacy.

Turks and Caicos, which has a total of around 40 islands, is so beautiful that it has attracted Colombian music icon Shakira, who recently enjoyed its beaches with her sons, Sasha and Milan.

The island chain has been visited by Spanish and French explorers, as well as African slave traders, in the past. Currently, it is a territory of the United Kingdom, which means it has plenty of European and African influences.

The islands had similar art and cultural variables with neighboring Caribbean countries, including Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

According to TCI Villas, these countries feature the same bright and colorful art incorporating symbolisms that allude to island folklore. The celebrations in the country also include Carnivals, which have become a huge part of the islands.

However, the biggest cultural influence of the country's people may be the native Taino people. In fact, the word "Caicos" comes from the Taíno language meaning "chain of islands."

Turks and Caicos Almost Became Part of Canada

While Turks and Caicos is a British territory, its close proximity to the Americas makes its culture lean more there than in the U.K. They even use the U.S. dollar instead of the British Pound as its official currency.

Before the Spaniards arrived, led by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Taino people were the first settlers. It was then colonized by several European powers, changing hands often.

However, by 1765, it was retaken by the French before the first settlement of the Caicos islands happened when British loyalists from America escaped persecution after the American War of Independence in 1783.

The British Empire then conquered it, which happened without any opposition, according to iExplore. Initially part of the Bahamas, it was declared a separate colony but still under the dependency of Jamaica until 1959.

Canada made a move to incorporate the islands in 1917, but the British government rejected this. Canada still maintained its political link with the islands, though, and made another attempt to incorporate Turks and Caicos in 1982. But they once again failed to incorporate the islands.

Turks and Caicos Has a Bright Future Ahead

Much like other island chains in the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos mainly relied on fishing since the time of the native Taino people and the ancient Lucayans. And it is quickly becoming a tourist destination as well.

With beautiful beaches and turquoise waters, the islands are fast becoming recognized as one of the world's premier beach destinations., according to the islands' official tourism site.

It is also welcoming to investors, as Turks and Caicos is a "zero tax" jurisdiction and therefore has no taxes on income, capital gains, corporate profits, inheritance, or estates. Its economy is also growing fast, with businesses starting to boom.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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