Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a group of more than 40 islands and cays. The extremely hot, dry conditions led to natural salt production in the interior wetlands of the islands, leading to one of the first and major international salt industries in the Americas. The smaller cays are important for breeding seabirds, and endemic reptiles, invertebrates and plants. The wetlands are globally important for shorebirds.

The Turks and Caicos have a high number of endemic species and others of international importance, partially dependent on the conditions created by the oldest established salt-pan development in the Caribbean. The property has a high number of endemic species of lizards, snakes, insects and plants, showing genetic differences between the different islands. The islands are also important as a breeding area for seabirds - one of the three most important in the Caribbean - and is a wetland site of international importance containing a variety of marine and coastal habitat types and complex natural transitions. There are also shallow inland ponds of various sizes linked to the sea in times of storm and/or via subterranean channels.