Cockburn Town ( ) is the capital of the

Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) 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 ...

, spreading across most of Grand Turk Island. It was founded in 1681 by salt collectors.

Geography

Cockburn Town is located on the largest island in the

Turks Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) 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 nor ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

, Grand Turk Island. Historic 18th and 19th century Bermudian architecture lines Duke and Front Streets in the town. The town is known for its long, narrow streets and old street lamps. The closest

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ...

age to Cockburn Town is Hawk's Nest Anchorage, which, though sheltered, should only be entered in good light because of reefs near the entrance.

History

The seat of government ever since 1766, Cockburn Town was the first permanent settlement on any of the islands, founded in 1681 by salt collectors who arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The city supposedly lies on the place where

Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santerv ...

first landed on the island. It is named for

Francis Cockburn Sir Francis Cockburn (; 10 November 1780 – 24 August 1868) served in the British Army, played an important role in the early settlement of eastern Canada and was a colonial administrator. Cockburn was born in England in 1780. He was the fif ...

, former Governor of the Bahamas.

Main sights

National Museum

Cockburn Town is home to the Turks & Caicos National Museum, which is housed in the colonial-era Guinep House, on Front Street. The house is believed to be over 180 years old and much of its structural material came from local shipwrecks, including a ship's mast, which is one of the building's main supports. The site was donated to the Museum in 1990. Among the National Museum's collections is an exhibit of shipwrecks, including the oldest known European shipwreck in the Americas, the

Molasses Reef Wreck The Molasses Reef Shipwreck is the site of a ship which wrecked in the Turks and Caicos Islands early in the 16th century. It is the oldest wreck of a European ship in the Americas to have been scientifically excavated.Leshikar-Denton: 286Muse ...

, dated 1505. Other exhibits detail the history of the Lucayans, the

Space Race The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the ...

, Turks and Caicos

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the ...

s, slavery and the history of the slave trade, the sisal and

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...

industries, royal events, as well as a general history of the islands. The museum also maintains a garden, which is adjacent to the Guinep House. Also of interest are the museum's research projects, including its Message in a Bottle Project, recording nearly 40 years' worth of messages to wash upon the shores of Grand Turk.

Her Majesty's Prison

"Her Majesty's Prison" on Pond Street was built in the 1830s and remained in operation until 1994. In addition to the main cell block and offices for prison officials, it hosts a bell tower and its own museum.

Climate

Grand Turk has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen ''BSh'') with summer-like weather occurring all year round and a rainier season from September to December when the northeastern trade winds are strongest and hurricanes common.

Education

The sole high school is HJ Robinson High School.

References

External links

* {{authority control Populated places in the Turks and Caicos Islands Capitals in the Caribbean Populated places established in 1681 Capitals of British Overseas Territories 1681 establishments in the British Empire