Grand Turk Island
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Grand Turk Island

Islands information
NameGrand Turk
LocationCaribbean
ArchipelagoTurks Islands
Geography information
Area18 km2 (6.9 mi)
Administration information
United Kingdom
British Overseas TerritoryTurks and Caicos Islands
Largest cityCockburn Town
Administration information
Population3720
Density206.67 km2

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Grand Turk Island is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the largest island in the Turks Islands (the smaller of the two archipelagos that make up the island nation) with 18 km2 (6.9 sqmi). It contains the territory's capital, Cockburn Town and the JAGS McCartney International Airport. The island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial centre of the territory, and has the second largest population of the islands at approximately 3,720 people.



Grand Turk gained international attention in 1962 when John Glenn's Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft landed in the vicinity of Grand Turk Island off the southeast shoreline. A replica of the Friendship 7 is on display in Grand Turk at the entrance to the Grand Turk Island airport.

The name comes from a species of cactus on the island, the Turk's Cap Cactus (Melocactus) intortus, which has a distinctive cap, reminiscent of a Turkish fez.

It is possibly the landfall island of Christopher Columbus during his discovery of the New World in 1492. San Salvador Island or Samana Cay in the Bahamas is traditionally considered the site of Columbus' first landfall, but some believe that studies of Columbus' journals show that his descriptions of Guanahani much more closely fit Grand Turk than they do other candidates.

In 1966 at least five sounding rockets were launched from Grand Turk Island [http://www.visitprovidenciales.com/about/history.aspx

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'Pull out now' - Spartanburg Herald Journal Tweet this news
Spartanburg Herald Journal---...- midnight buffets under the stars and water slide races on the granddaddy of water slides known as the Flowrider on -Grand Turk Island-. ... - Date : Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:09:32 GMT+00:00
Prison Launches Community Payback Scheme in TCI - thebahamasweekly.com Tweet this news
thebahamasweekly.com---...- to the -island-. The scheme has started with several clean up operations and the building of a wall at the Salina next to the clock tower on -Grand Turk-. ... - Date : Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:17:10 GMT+00:00
Forecasters issue hurricane watch for NC coast - The Associated Press Tweet this news
The Associated Press--By midday Tuesday, Earl's center was about 170 miles (275 kilometers) east of -Grand Turk island- as it headed west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to ... - Date : Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:54:22 GMT+00:00
Hurricane Earl Set To Threaten US Coastline - Sky News Tweet this news
Sky News--At 9am Tuesday, Earl was about 230 miles east of -Grand Turk island- and moving west-northwest at 13mph. A hurricane watch is in effect from Surf City, NC, ... - Date : Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:19:10 GMT+00:00
Earl to brush Turks and Caicos on path toward US - BusinessWeek Tweet this news
BusinessWeek--Early Tuesday, Earl's center was about 230 miles (370 kilometers) east of -Grand Turk island- as it headed west-northwest at 13 mph (30 kph), according to the ... - Date : Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:31:41 GMT+00:00
Hurricane Earl on track to clip US East Coast - Daily News & Analysis Tweet this news
Daily News & Analysis--At 9am (1300 GMT), it was located about 230 miles (370km) east of -Grand Turk Island- in the Turks and Caicos, a British overseas territory. ... - Date : Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:35:12 GMT+00:00
US coast braces for 'large and intense' Hurricane Earl - AFP Tweet this news
AFP--At 2100 GMT it was centered 150 miles (245 kilometers) east of -Grand Turk Island- on the Turks and Caicos and 1000 miles (1605 kilometers) southeast of Cape ... - Date : Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:39:27 GMT+00:00
Three groups pitch offers to save TCI Bank - fp Turks and Caicos Tweet this news
fp Turks and Caicos--Three groups of investors offering to save TCI Bank made their sales pitches to creditors on -Grand Turk-, North Caicos and Providenciales on July 23-24, ... - Date : Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:05:44 GMT+00:00
See More About: - About - News & Issues (blog) Tweet this news
About - News & Issues (blog)---...- sailing round-trip from Fort Lauderdale to -Grand Turk- in the Turks & Caicos, San Juan, St. Thomas, and Holland America's private -island-, Half Moon Cay. ... - Date : Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:37:41 GMT+00:00
TCI makes initial cut as U.K. creates Heritage Site list - fp Turks and Caicos Tweet this news
fp Turks and Caicos--The UK announced its list of tentative nominations to UNESCO for selection as a World Heritage Site, and the -Turks- and Caicos -Islands- made the cut. ... - Date : Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:42:12 GMT+00:00



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