Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands

What the flag looks like

A Blue Ensign with a yellow shield in the fly bearing a queen conch shell, a spiny lobster and a Turk's cap cactus.

What it means

The conch and lobster represent the islands' marine life and fishing, and the Turk's cap cactus, whose red top looks like a fez, gave the Turks Islands their name.

How to remember it

Turks and Caicos puts a seafood-and-cactus trio on a plain yellow shield: a conch, a lobster and the fez-topped cactus that named the Turks Islands.

Fun facts

• Whether the lobster on the badge should have eight or ten legs has long been disputed; the real Caribbean spiny lobster has ten.
• The capital, Cockburn Town, is on Grand Turk, but most of the population lives on Providenciales.

Turks and Caicos Islands at a glance

Status

British Overseas Territory

Sovereign state

United Kingdom

Capital

Cockburn Town

Region

British Overseas Territory

Population

50,828

Area

948 km²

Languages

English

Currency

United States dollar ($)

Flag adopted

1968

Flags often confused with the Turks and Caicos Islands

• Cayman Islands: The Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos are both Blue Ensigns with a coat of arms in the fly. The Cayman badge has a turtle and pineapple on top and three green stars on waves; Turks and Caicos has a plain yellow shield with a conch, a lobster and a cactus.
• Anguilla: Anguilla and Turks and Caicos are both Blue Ensigns with sea creatures on the badge. Anguilla has three orange dolphins in a circle on white and turquoise; Turks and Caicos has a conch, a lobster and a cactus on a yellow shield.
• British Virgin Islands: Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands are both Blue Ensigns with a shield in the fly. Turks and Caicos' shield is yellow with a conch, a lobster and a cactus; the BVI's is green with a woman in white and lamps.