Caicos Islands

The Caicos Islands are the largest of the two groups in the Turks and Caicos Islands, comprising 96 % of the land area and 82 % of the population. They comprise four out of six administrative districts of the territory.

Providenciales, or more commonly known as "Provo" is the most developed island in Turks and Caicos. It is here where most international flights arrive at the Providenciales International Airport (PLS). The two main and oldest settlements on the island are the Bight and Blue Hills, and are built around fresh water supplies.

West Caicos, that is currently uninhabited, was cleared in the 1890's for salinas and the cultivation of sisal, a major crop of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Yankee Town was the centre for those industries which ultimately failed for various reasons. The island still contains the ruins of those activities complete with railroad tracks, engines and old stone buildings. The ruins of Yankee Town, crested by an osprey's nest, its sisal press, railroad and steam engine are evidence of the small civilization that once existed on the island.

North Caicos is the lushest of all the islands because of the abundant rainfall. Most people live in the settlements of Bottle Creek Village, Whitby, Kew and Sandy Point. North Caicos boasts the largest flock of Pink Flamingo in the islands.

The largest of the islands, Middle Caicos has three settlements: Conch Bar, Bambarra and Lorimers. Middle Caicos is home to the largest cave network in the Bahamian Archipelago. There are also the remains of huge Lucayan Indian settlements.

South Caicos, or The Big South, is the fishing capital of the islands. The sleepy little harbour town of Cockburn Harbor was once the most active commercial community in the Turks and Caicos islands. It has hosted royalty and rogues throughout its rich history. The Boiling Hole fed the saltpans that once made South Caicos the islands' largest producer of salt. Although long since abandoned the old salt pans have become the home of a variety of bird species including flocks of flamingos.

East Caicos is an uninhabited island. Swamps and mangroves inundate a majority of the island. Once home to a large sisal plantation and cattle industry, East Caicos is now deserted. The ruins of the abandoned town of Jacksonville, railroad tracks and cave artwork are testaments of former life.

Caicos Islands stamps were issued from 1981 to 1985. These stamps were also valid for use on the Turks Islands.

Capital: Kew, North Caicos (unofficial)

Government: part of Turks and Caicos Islands, British Overseas Territory

Area: 589,5 km²

Population: 26.584 (2006)

Currency: United States Dollar (100 cents)

Internet TLD: .tc

Dialling code: +1 649

For more stamps see:

Turks and Caicos Islands

Links

Turks and Caicos Islands in Wikipedia.

Flag of Turks and Caicos Islands in Flags of the World.

Territory description from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Territory description from the BBC.

Territory description from the CIA.

Official website of the government of Turks and Caicos Islands.

Stamp catalogue

19th UPU Congress, Hamburg/Salon der Philatelie zum XIX. Weltpostkongress, Hamburg

date: 19 June 1984

designer: -

printer: -

perforated: 14

1 95 ¢ overprint text "UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION 1874-1984" and UPU emblem on definitive stamp '707

Jet on new Provo Airport' (cat. Michel 20/SG 20)

multicoloured, overprint in black

(cat. Michel 49/SG 55)

2 $ 1.10 overprint text "UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION 1874-1984" and UPU emblem on definitive stamp '15th

Century Spanish Ship' (cat. Michel 21/SG 21)

multicoloured, overprint in black

(cat. Michel 50/SG 56)

International Youth Year / UNO 40th anniversary / FAO 40th anniversary

date: 8 May 1985

designer: Catherine Walters

printer: Walsall Security Printers, Walsall, United Kingdom

perforated: 14

size souv. sheet: 101 x 71 mm

3 16 ¢ two children writing and reading, dove with banner "EDUCATION", rainbow, IYY emblem, FAO and UNO

jubilee emblems, text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR / 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 67/SG 73)

4 35 ¢ two children on playground swings, dove with banner "HEALTH", rainbow, IYY emblem, FAO and UNO

jubilee emblems, text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR / 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 68/SG 74)

5 70 ¢ girl and boy, dove with banner "LOVE", rainbow, IYY emblem, FAO and UNO jubilee emblems, text

"INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR / 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 69/SG 75)

6 90 ¢ girl and two boys, dove with banner "PEACE", rainbow, IYY emblem, FAO and UNO jubilee emblems,

text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR / 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 70/SG 76)

7 souvenir sheet, children, rainbow, FAO and UNO jubilee emblems, text "40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE

UNITED NATIONS · INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR"

$ 2 boy, dove with three ears of wheat, globe with the Americas, IYY emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 9/SG MS 77)

ICAO 40th anniversary

date: 23 May 1985

designer: K. Gromell

printer: Walsall Security Printers, Walsall, United Kingdom

perforated: 14

size souv. sheet: 100 x 70 mm

8 35 ¢ Douglas DC-3 of Air Caicos at the airfield, ICAO jubilee emblem, text "DC-3"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 72/SG 78)

9 75 ¢ Air Caicos Royal Mail Convair CV 440 Metropolitan in the air, ICAO jubilee emblem, text "CONVAIR 440"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 73/SG 79)

10 90 ¢ TCNA Britten Norman Islander in the air over Caicos Islands, ICAO jubilee emblem, text "TCNA

ISLANDER"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 74/SG 80)

11 souvenir sheet, Icarus flying over Caicos Islands towards the Sun and losing his wings, ICAO

jubilee emblem

$ 2.20 hang glider, text "HANGGLIDING OVER THE CAICOS"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 10/SG MS 81)

International Youth Year

date: 5 December 1985

designer: Walt Disney Productions

printer: Questa Colour Security Printers, London, United Kingdom

perforated: 14

size souv. sheet: 126 x 101 mm

remark: stamps commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the author Mark Twain (1835-1910) and depict

the book Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896)

12 8 ¢ Mickey and Goofy looking at a reward poster, IYY emblem, portrait of Mark Twain, text "TOM SAWYER,

/ DETECTIVE / Huck and Tom / notice the reward / for the diamonds."

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 80/SG 86)

13 35 ¢ Mickey, Goofy and Mortimer talking, IYY emblem, portrait of Mark Twain, text "TOM SAWYER, /

DETECTIVE / Huck and / Tom meet / Jake Dunlap."

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 81/SG 87)

14 95 ¢ Mickey, Goofy and Mortimer in the forest, IYY emblem, portrait of Mark Twain, text "TOM SAWYER, /

DETECTIVE / "It ain't a ghost at all!" cries Tom."

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 82/SG 88)

15 $ 1 10 Mickey, Goofy and Pluto in the forest, IYY emblem, portrait of Mark Twain, text "TOM SAWYER, /

DETECTIVE / The hound finds the body."

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 83/SG 89)

16 souvenir sheet, several Disney characters in court, IYY emblem, portrait of Mark Twain, text "TOM

SAWYER, / DETECTIVE / Tom unmasks Jubiter Dunlap."

$ 2.00 Mickey and mask

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 12/SG MS 90)

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last revised: 22 June 2009