Cockburn
Town,
town (2021 pop. 4,831), capital of the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands, located on
Grand Turk Island, on the Turks Island Passage. The port town is the
islands' administrative, commercial, and cultural center. Tourism, offshore
banking, and the trapping and export of spiny lobsters are important to the
economy. Cockburn Town was founded in 1681 by collectors of the island's
then-abundant salt, and became the government seat in 1766. The salt trade
ended in the 1960s, but the town's narrow streets and mainly 18th- and
19th-century Bermudian colonial architecture are reminders of that period.
Other sights include the old British prison, a national park, and the
national museum.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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