Of the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Caicos Islands are the larger group, with almost ninety six percent of the land area - two hundred and twenty seven square miles and eighty two percent of the population (26,584 out of a total of 33,302 in 2006). The Caicos Islands are arranged around the Caicos Bank, like an atoll, with the six large islands in the west, north and east, and a few tiny reefs and cays in the south. The Caicos Bank is an underwater limestone bank, on which the islands rest, covering an area of 2,370 square miles. The area is made up of sand, mixed coral, algae, coral reefs and other habitats, typically at depths of from three to fifteen feet deep.

The unofficial capital of the Caicos Islands is the village of Kew on North Caicos. There is no official capital because the island group is not an administrative unit. The Caicos Islands encompass four of the six administrative districts of the territory. Four of the six main islands are inhabited, plus two of the smaller islands:

Main islands, from West to East, with population estimates of 2006:

• West Caicos (uninhabited since the early 1900’s)
• Providenciales (main urban centre, with most of the population: 22,542)
• North Caicos (population 1,895)
• Middle Caicos (population 468)
• East Caicos (uninhabited since the early 1900’s)
• South Caicos (population 1,579)
• Ambergris Cay (uninhabited up until 1997)

Inhabited smaller islands, in the Caicos Cays between Providenciales and North Caicos:

• Dellis Cay (uninhabited up until 2007, Will host a Mandarin Oriental Hotel in 2010)
• Pine Cay (tourist resort, population 30)
• Parrot Cay (tourist resort, population 100)

The Caicos Islands make up four of the six districts of the territory. North, Middle and East Caicos Islands was designated a Ramsar site of the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on the 27^th of June 1990.

ALL IN ALL AMAZED AT THE WATER AND ITS DEPTH