About 30 islands divided into the two groups specified in the name, which are in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Bahamas. They are a territory of the United Kingdom, and their economy is mostly based on tourism and fishing. In fact, the natural resources of the islands are listed in the CIA World Factbook as only "spiny lobster, conch."

The islands are administered from Grand Turk which is the capital. However most tourists go to Providencials which has all the big hotels like Beaches. Grand Turk is known for once having a US Base where astronauts who crashed into the sea in the Caribbean, recuperated (such as John Glenn).