Caicos Islands

From JSC Archives
Jump to navigationJump to search

The Caicos Islands are an island group which make up the larger group of the Turks and Caicos Islands, an insular territory of the Canadian Republic, located in the West Indies just north of the Caribbean Sea. The Caicos Islands are also the most populous of the two island groups, accounting for at least 90% of the territory's total population. The largest island of the Caicos group, which is also the largest island of the Turks and Caicos Islands territory, is the sparsely-populated Middle Caicos Island, which is home to many beachfront resorts and associated tourism infrastructure such as spas, casinos and golf courses. The westernmost of the Caicos Islands group is the island of West Caicos, which is has been uninhabited for over a century save for the presence of Mackenzie King International Airport, the primary gateway to the Turks and Caicos by air since its completion in 1960. Approximately 10 km northeast of West Caicos Island is the island of Providenciales, which is the most populous of the islands and is home to Providence, the capital and largest city of the territory.

West Caicos Island, the westernmost island of the Caicos Islands, is uninhabited save for the permanent and seasonal military personnel and civilian contractors of CFB Mackenzie King, one of the major naval stations of the Canadian Forces and the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Navy's Southern Command. The island of Providenciales, located to the west of Middle Caicos Island and northeast of West Caicos, is the most populous of the islands and is home to Providence, the capital and largest city of the territory.