This archipelago of 40 islands and small cays floats between the Bahamas and Haiti, with the Atlantic to one side and the Caribbean to the other. 575 miles (927 km) southeast of Miami and 90 miles (145 km) north of Haiti.
One of the eight islands that are inhabited, Grand Turk, which is the capital claims to be the first spot on which Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World.
Home to one of the world's longest coral reefs, the glass-clear Turks and Caicos waters are also the winter home of migrating humpback whales and year-round playground for turtles, parrot fish and dolphins.