Middle Caicos is the largest island in the
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and ...
. To the west, it is separated from
North Caicos
North Caicos is the second-largest island in the Turks and Caicos Islands (after Middle Caicos). To the west, the Caicos Cays (the closest is Parrot Cay) link to Providenciales. To the east, it is separated from Middle Caicos by Juniper Hole, a ...
by Juniper Hole, and to the east, from
East Caicos
East Caicos is the fourth largest island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. To the west, it is separated from Middle Caicos by Lorimer Creek, a narrow passage that can accommodate only small boats. To the south is South Caicos. East Caicos has n ...
by Lorimer Creek, both narrow passages that can accommodate only small boats. The island is known for its extensive system of caves and its significant Lucayan Indian archaeological sites. The island is connected to North Caicos via a causeway. Middle Caicos was previously called Grand Caicos, although this name is not used today.
Geography
The island has an area of within the high water mark, and of within the shoreline. The difference between the two values is not accounted for as land area. It is part of the North Caicos and Middle Caicos District.
Notable natural areas are the scenic Mudjin Harbour, located on the northern shore, and
Conch Bar Caves. On the eastern part of the islands are the ruins of Haulover Plantation. There are at least 38 Lucayan sites on Middle Caicos. Recent excavation has revealed that Middle Caicos was likely the principal settlement of
Lucayan people
The Lucayan people ( ) were the original residents of the Bahamas before the European conquest of the Americas. They were a branch of the Taínos who inhabited most of the Caribbean islands at the time. The Lucayans were the first indigenous Am ...
in the subtropics. Evidence of Lucayan settlements date back to 750 AD and archaeologists believe that as many as 4,000 Indians once lived on the island.
Population
The resident population of Middle Caicos is estimated to be 118 in 2022.
Middle Caicos Settlements
Lorimers
Located at the northeastern middle end the Island, this inland village is situated along Lagoon Inlet. It is the smallest of three villages on Middle Caicos.
Bambarra
Located east of Conch Bar about half a mile inland, this village is the second largest settlement on Middle Caicos. It is notable as the only town in the Turks and Caicos Archipelago that has a name of African derivation. The village was reputedly first settled by survivors of the Spanish slave ship ''Trouvadore'' that sank off Middle Caicos in 1842.
Conch Bar
The largest of the three villages on Middle Caicos, Conch Bar is the home of a primary school and government offices. The nearby Conch Bar Caves National Park hosts one of the largest cave systems in the Caribbean region. The karst limestone caves were used as a guano mine during the 1880s. Lucayan Indian artifacts and the skeletal remains of animals were reportedly uncovered by the digging, but were not preserved.
References
External links
{{commonscat
- Middle Caicos at TCI Mall
Caicos Islands
Ramsar sites in British Overseas Territories