Grand Turk is the historical and political centre of the Turks and Caicos, and is the second most populated island in the country after the island of Providenciales.

Originally founded by settlers from Bermuda as a site for sea salt production in 1681, Cockburn Town on Grand Turk has been the official capital of the Turks and Caicos since 1766. Many of the country's main government offices, including the Supreme Court and Governor's Residence, can be found here.

Several important historic events have taken place around this small island, including being the likely spot of Columbus's first landfall in the New World, and the first dry land American astronaut John Glenn stepped foot on after orbiting Earth in 1962.

The most famous landmark in the Turks and Caicos is the Grand Turk Lighthouse. The only lighthouse in the country, it was prefabricated in England and built in 1852.