Turks and Caicos Islands Architecture & Culture

Turks and Caicos Islands as a Nation

The Turks and Caicos Islands were annexed to Bermuda in 1766, but this tie was abandoned in 1848.  Later, the Turks and Caicos Islands were annexed to Jamaica and remained a British protectorate until they declared independence in 1962.  Ten years later, the government of Turks and Caicos Islands decided to become a British Crown Colony and declared itself as a British protectorate.

The flag of Turks and Caicos Islands indicates the heritage of the Turks & Caicos Islands, showing the British Union jack along with the crest of Turks and Caicos Islands.  The Turks & Caicos Islands’ crest features the Turks Head cactus, the Queen Conch (pronounced “konk”), and the Spiny Lobster, all representing the aquacultural heritage of the islands.

The flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Today, Turks and Caicos Islands is governed by elected ministers who work with a British Governor to create and enforce laws.  The Turks & Caicos Islands law is closely tied to British common law.

Turks and Caicos Islands Architecture

The unique style of Turks and Caicos Islands architecture has been influenced by their culture and by the scarcity of lumber.  The vast majority of home construction on the islands reflects the tradition of thick concrete walls and thatched or tin roofs.  For the most part, the traditional thatched roofs have been replaced by the sturdier tin roofs.  The roofs have almost no overhangs to prevent the high winds during hurricane season from blowing them off.

Unlike home owners in other countries, those on the Turks & Caicos Islands tend not to utilize a mortgage loans.  Instead, they build as they can afford it, and the islands are dotted with works-in-progress that may take decades to complete.

The Bermuda-style stepped chimneys

(Marta Morton)

The Bermuda influence in Turks and Caicos Islands architecture is both practical and stunning.  In Bermuda, the walls are made from native concrete, which is made from a lime mortar.  This mortar, in turn, is made from burnt and crushed conch shells. 

Following in tradition of Bermuda, many of the modern public buildings in Turks and Caicos Islands have followed this appealing architecture.

Victoria Public Library in Grand Turk (1889)

(Marta Morton)

Cosmopolitan Turks and Caicos Islands

Unlike the homogenized Caribbean destinations such as the Bahamas, Aruba and the Virgin Islands, a visit to the Turks & Caicos Islands is a multi-cultural adventure.  Turks and Caicos Islands is wildly popular with the French Canadians and the British, who flee the frigid winters with direct flights to Provo from Montreal and London.

American tourists report that the British tourists are immediately recognized by their European clothing, quaint accents and polite formal mannerisms.  The Turks & Caicos Islands has ex-pats from all over the British Empire, and it is not uncommon to hear British English dialects including Cockney, Liverpudlian, Australian, South African and Scottish as well as Caribbean English accents such as Bahamian and Jamaican. 

It is not uncommon to hear many different languages within an hour, and most of the local merchants are fluent in English, French, Creole, and Spanish. 

Having fun on the beach (Marta Morton)

The spoken English of the Turks and Caicos Islands Belongers is influenced by the Jamaican, Bahamian, Haitian and Dominican dialects, and many of the locals speak a Creole English with distinct Dominican and French influences.

In South Caicos, many of the islanders pronounce

The “v” sound with a “w” as in “We walue our wictory” for “We value our victory”.

Other unique Turks and Caicos Islands words and phrases expose Turks and Caicos Islands’s multicultural heritage and include:

§  Buck:  To meet/met.  Example: “Ya Mon, I buck Joe at Hemingway’s”.

§  Ga:  Got.  Example: “I ga a new shut”.

§  Gee:  To give, as in “I gee her a new shut”.

§  I’een:  A contraction for “I am not.”  Example: “I’een going to Turtle Cove tonight”.

§  Sak Passe:  A Haitian greeting literally meaning “What's Up?”

§  Shut:  Shirt.  Example: “Ya Mon, I like your shut”.

§  Yeah Man:  From the Jamaican “Ya Mon” phrase for “Yes”.

§  Tree Man: As in “There are tree man at da store”.

Now, let’s move on and look at the state of Turks and Caicos Islands, so that you will know what to expect.

This is an excerpt from the book "Turks and Caicos Islands Insider Adventures" by Rampant TechPress.